Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, referring to the ongoing discussion on administrative consolidation ahead of the "June local elections," said, "Realistically, if the related bill does not pass the plenary session by the end of February, consolidation of the relevant metropolitan cities and provinces before the election will be close to impossible."
Kim said this at a National Assembly interpellation session on the 11th in response to a related question from Rep. Hwang Myung-seon of the Democratic Party of Korea, noting it was "based on considerations of the accompanying administrative measures and election preparations."
She added, "I ask lawmakers of the People Power Party as well to actively join so that we can protect the golden time for balanced national development, not party interests or vested interests of the ruling and opposition parties."
Kim also answered a question—"What happens if even one of the special consolidation bills fails to pass among Chungnam and Daejeon, Daegu and North Gyeongsang, and South Jeolla and Gwangju Metropolitan City, where administrative consolidation is currently under discussion?"—by saying, "For whatever reason, if one of the three does not pass, residents of the affected area will bear the impact," adding, "When looking at the first year or four years later, what result will come is something the lawmakers from the relevant regions should deliberate on sufficiently."