An analysis found that among the three special administrative integration bills for Gwangju–South Jeolla, Daegu–North Gyeongsang, and Daejeon–South Chungcheong, there are 99 poison-pill provisions that concentrate power in the hands of the metropolitan heads and could damage fiscal soundness.
The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) held a press conference on the 25th and announced the results of a full review of the three special administrative integration bills with these findings.
According to the CCEJ, "unlimited issuance of local government bonds" would become possible. Under current law, issuing local government bonds requires approval from the Minister of the Interior and Safety, but the special bills include provisions allowing bonds to be issued with only a city council vote.
The CCEJ said, "It is necessary to expand the autonomy of local finances, but excluding even the minimum national safety net to prevent local government bankruptcy carries a high risk of indiscriminate borrowing," and noted, "It also allows national standards controlling local public corporations' liability to be replaced by a local government ordinance."
There are also provisions in the special bills that would require the state to separately reimburse administrative expenses saved through integration, and that would allow the integrated entity to receive national budget allocations ahead of other local governments.
Regarding regional development, the integrated local government head's power would be inflated. The bills stipulate transferring the authority and duties of special local administrative agencies such as the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (local environment offices), the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) (local labor offices), and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (regional land management agencies) to the integrated special city. The CCEJ assessed that this could create a problem where the local government leading development would also double as the watchdog for environment and labor.
Furthermore, under provisions that bar reinstating the transferred agencies within the area in the future, the CCEJ argued that the state-level oversight function over development projects would be effectively blocked. The bills also provide a basis for designating the integrated special city as a regulatory-free zone, allowing the head of the entity to defer national regulations on environment and safety for up to five years through a local government ordinance.
Considering the poison-pill provisions, the CCEJ said the special bills should not pass the National Assembly's plenary session. The CCEJ said, "Forcing them through hastily to meet the local election schedule is an abdication of responsibility by the legislative body," adding, "Thorough checks and balances that can control the integrated local government head must be put in place."
It continued, "If administrative integration is to be pursued, a resident vote must be held and a sufficient deliberation process must be guaranteed," adding, "Integration without the premise of residents' substantive participation and public discussion is nothing more than a top-down administrative reorganization."