A special bill for administrative integration of South Gyeongsang and Busan was submitted to the National Assembly on the 14th.
Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon and South Gyeongsang Gov. Park Wan-su held a joint news conference that morning at the National Assembly with six lawmakers from the Busan and South Gyeongsang regions, including Rep. Lee Seong-kwon, who led the bill, as well as Reps. Cho Kyung-tae, Park Soo-young, Jeong Jeom-sik, Kang Min-kuk and Choi Hyeong-du.
The two jurisdictions said, "The special act on establishing the South Gyeongsang–Busan Integrated Metropolitan City and creating an economic and industrial capital will become a new standard for Korea's decentralized administrative integration."
Busan City and South Gyeongsang Province said, "We can no longer wait only for the central government's response and waste the golden time, so in line with the roadmap released initially, this is to first present to the government the autonomy needed for integration aimed at 2028," adding, "The autonomy contained in the special act is the minimal institutional framework necessary for locally led growth and a firm commitment to pursuing decentralized administrative integration."
The bill was jointly introduced by 30 lawmakers from the Busan and South Gyeongsang regions. The main points are: ▲ bold fiscal decentralization ▲ securing autonomous legislative and organizational powers ▲ maximizing autonomy in fiscal management ▲ securing full authority for attracting corporations and fostering industries ▲ restoring land use and local development rights.
In addition, the supplementary provisions of the special act specify that the law will take effect after the will of residents is finally confirmed by referendum. The two jurisdictions said, "Given the urgency, we introduced the bill first, but we plan to proceed with the referendum with the goal of holding it within this year."
Mayor Park Heong-joon said, "The decentralized administrative integration proposed by South Gyeongsang and Busan is both a cry and a challenge for localities to find their own way to survive," adding, "It is a grand journey to bring young people back and leap forward as an economic and industrial capital that can respond to the capital area."