The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 24th passed only the Special Act for Administrative Integration of South Jeolla and Gwangju among the three metropolitan local government integration bills. The Democratic Party of Korea plans to handle the South Jeolla–Gwangju integration special act at a plenary session during the February extraordinary session. If so, voters will be able to elect an integrated chief for South Jeolla and Gwangju in the June 3 local elections.
By contrast, the Special Act for Administrative Integration of South Chungcheong and Daejeon and the Special Act for Administrative Integration of Daegu and North Gyeongsang did not pass the Legislation and Judiciary Committee that day. Considering the legislative and election schedules, the two regions have effectively lost the chance to elect an integrated chief in this local election.
A political figure said, "In particular, the South Chungcheong–Daejeon integration is an issue that President Lee Jae-myung personally pushed, but even the ruling Democratic Party effectively opposed it," adding, "It is something that would anger the Blue House at the Democratic Party." Another figure noted, "Ahead of the local elections, the ruling and opposition parties joined hands according to their political interests and effectively sidelined the Blue House."
◇democratic party–controlled public administration and security committee and legislation and judiciary committee are lukewarm on the south chungcheong–daejeon integration
The South Chungcheong–Daejeon administrative integration was personally requested of the Democratic Party of Korea by President Lee Jae-myung in December last year. At the time, the presidential office in Yongsan gathered Democratic Party lawmakers from South Chungcheong and Daejeon and called for integrating their constituencies. The Democratic Party of Korea appeared to go on a speed drive, forming a special committee for integration in just one day.
But legislation for the integration stalled. In political circles, it was considered unexpected because both the Public Administration and Security Committee, the standing committee overseeing the administrative integration special act, and the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which must be passed for the bill to advance, are chaired by Democratic Party lawmakers.
In response, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok visited the Public Administration and Security Committee on the 12th to urge swift handling of the administrative integration special act. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Chairperson Shin Jeong-hoon of the committee, and ruling party secretary Yoon Kun-young met to discuss the bill, and while they smiled, sharp words were exchanged.
At the time, Kim said, "To be honest, this is not something I should be asking you to do," adding, "It feels like I'm acting like a member of another party here." Chairperson Shin replied, "It feels like a surprise move by the prime minister," and added, "Although this was suddenly opened to the media, we are proceeding with a sense of responsibility."
It was the same at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Although Democratic Party lawmaker Choo Mi-ae serves as chairperson, she did not appear proactive in handling the administrative integration special act. Late at night on the 23rd, in the middle of a full committee meeting, Chairperson Choo also said, "There is much opposition among Daejeon residents; shouldn't we also take these citizens' views into consideration?"
In the end, at the full committee meeting on the 24th, handling of the South Chungcheong–Daejeon administrative integration was scrapped. Chairperson Choo said, "In South Chungcheong and Daejeon, public support is not high, and the Daegu City Council issued a statement asking that the (Daegu–North Gyeongsang) integration push be dropped," adding, "We should first integrate South Jeolla and Gwangju and take time to watch the situation."
◇ruling and opposition blame each other; the blue house is simmering at the democratic party
The ruling and opposition parties blame each other for the collapse of the administrative integration. The Democratic Party of Korea says it could not proceed because the People Power Party strongly opposed it, while the People Power Party asks since when the Democratic Party has ever taken its cues from them. Cheon Jun-ho, the Democratic Party floor operations chief, held a press briefing that day and said, "Because administrative integration involves the rules, if a metropolitan or provincial council or governor opposes it, it is burdensome to push it unilaterally," adding, "The People Power Party blocked Korea's path forward by opposing administrative integration."
By contrast, the People Power Party says the Democratic Party of Korea has never cared about the opposition's views. Shin Dong-wook of the People Power Party said at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's full meeting on the 23rd, "Lawmakers from Daejeon and South Chungcheong in the Democratic Party said that if you're not going to handle (the administrative integration special act), then don't pass any of the three," adding, "The South Chungcheong–Daejeon initiative is proceeding because the president raised the issue—since when has the Democratic Party backed off just because the People Power Party opposed it?"
Kwak Kyu-taek of the People Power Party also met with reporters during a general assembly of lawmakers that day and said, "The Democratic Party of Korea is determined to shift the blame for the failed integration to the People Power Party, but at yesterday's Legislation and Judiciary Committee meeting, no one in the People Power Party applied to speak in opposition to the South Chungcheong–Daejeon integration," adding, "There seem to have been internal differences in the Democratic Party of Korea, so only South Jeolla–Gwangju is moving forward."
According to ruling camp figures, the Blue House was greatly disappointed by how the Democratic Party of Korea conducted itself during the process of handling the administrative integration special act. They say ruling party lawmakers ignored a matter the president personally requested for the sake of their "own politics." There is also talk that if South Chungcheong and Daejeon were integrated, Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik would be a strong contender for the integrated chief, and several lawmakers preparing to run for South Chungcheong governor or Daejeon mayor pushed back, ultimately scuttling the integration.
A ruling camp official said, "During this administrative integration process, ruling party lawmakers from the Daejeon area did not cooperate at all, so dissatisfaction is high at the Blue House," adding, "No one in the floor leadership took the lead to push the administrative integration through, so it naturally slid down the priority list."