Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Metropolitan City, the nation's first integrated metropolitan and provincial government model, is facing growing pains over where to locate its government complex ahead of its official launch in July. The issue is where to place the legal address, or "main office," among the three existing complexes—Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall, South Jeolla Provincial Government Complex, and the South Jeolla Eastern Government Complex—as local interests diverge by region. Some also note the conflict was predictable, as the integration moved forward without sufficient public debate such as a referendum.
◇ Gwangju, Muan, and Suncheon clash over the "representative address"
According to Gwangju Metropolitan City and South Jeolla Province on the 22nd, the two governments are currently using three locations as their complexes: Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall in Seo-gu, Gwangju; the South Jeolla Provincial Government Complex in Muan, South Jeolla; and the South Jeolla Eastern Government Complex in Suncheon, South Jeolla. The two governments are set to merge and launch as Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Metropolitan City in July.
The problem is that the unified metropolitan city must designate one location as its main office. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has reportedly issued an interpretation that, by law, the main office location must be set in a single place.
The main office serves as the unified metropolitan city's legal address and is the recipient of key documents from the central government, courts, and other local governments, as well as the reference point for administrative procedures such as lawsuits and contracts. It is not just a matter of arranging offices, but of deciding where to place the unified metropolitan city's representative address.
Min Hyung-bae, the mayor-elect who will lead Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Metropolitan City, is considering the South Jeolla Eastern Government Complex as the legal address. In a radio interview on the 17th, Min said, "We are considering making Suncheon the location of the main office." The mayor-elect's transition committee also said at a press briefing, "We will review placing the unified metropolitan city's legal address at the Eastern Government Complex."
Political circles in the region interpret Min's move as taking into account regional balance and political stability after consolidation. Min is from Haenam, South Jeolla, spent his school years in Mokpo, and built his political base while serving as Gwangsan District head in Gwangju. In contrast, he is seen as having relatively weaker ties to the eastern part of South Jeolla, including Suncheon. As the unified metropolitan city council's composition will inevitably tilt toward South Jeolla-area members, some analysts say cooperation from the eastern region will be important for advancing policies.
◇ Stalled by the Daegu–North Gyeongsang complex dispute… criticism over lack of public debate
But pushback from other areas is strong. The Gwangju area cites its status as the most densely populated region and the existing central city. In the southwest centered on Muan, where the South Jeolla provincial office is located, the "Civil-Government Joint Task Force for Confirming Muan as the Main Government Complex of Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Metropolitan City" has launched. The group plans to pursue policy proposals, petitions to the central government, and efforts to build public consensus to bring the main complex to Muan. The dynamic is Gwangju emphasizing population and administrative demand, Muan highlighting the symbolism of hosting the existing South Jeolla provincial office, and Suncheon asserting the rationale of balanced development in the eastern region.
There was a prior case in Daegu and North Gyeongsang where the government complex issue hobbled administrative consolidation. Daegu City and North Gyeongsang Province pushed for administrative integration in 2024 but halted discussions after failing to narrow differences over the location of the main complex. At the time, Daegu proposed maintaining the Daegu complex along with the North Gyeongsang Andong complex and the Pohang Eastern Complex. North Gyeongsang countered that placing the Pohang Eastern Complex presupposed a special/metropolitan city system centered on Daegu and partitioned North Gyeongsang.
There are projections that other metropolitan governments pursuing administrative integration could face similar conflicts. An official at one metropolitan government said, "In the administrative integration process, we should have first secured residents' consent through a referendum," adding, "It is difficult to manage conflicts over not only the location of the government complex but also details such as the name, council composition, and placement of administrative agencies."
Min's camp says it aims to create a balanced operating system that uses all three existing complexes. Yang Eun-suk, Spokesperson for Min's transition committee, said, "The mayor-elect's principle is clear," adding, "We will operate the three complexes in the east, Muan, and Gwangju in a balanced manner." Min is also reportedly considering rotating among the three complexes for on-site work.