Daejeon Mayor Calls for Regional Integration With South Chungcheong

Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo on Thursday presented a blueprint for integrating Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province, emphasizing that regional consolidation is "a demand of the times."

The mayor outlined a vision centered on three major metropolitan axes, integrated urban infrastructure, and expanded research and medical industries during a weekly staff meeting.

"The single-polar system centered on the Seoul metropolitan area is deepening population decline and industrial hollowing-out in provincial regions," Lee said. "Building competitiveness at the metropolitan level through integration of Daejeon and South Chungcheong is essential for the nation's entire future."

President Lee Jae-myung expressed support for the integration during a town hall meeting with South Chungcheong residents in Cheonan on Sunday. "As the person responsible for national governance, I think it would be worthwhile to pursue an exemplary integration of South Chungcheong and Daejeon," the president said, noting that "metropolitanization is also a global trend."

Mayor Lee said Daejeon and South Chungcheong are currently the most mature regions in the country for integration discussions, adding that the president has shown strong commitment to prioritizing the merger. "The Chungcheong region can become a key axis extending the Seoul metropolitan economic zone to a 150-kilometer radius," he said.

The mayor presented a "Chungcheong Region Integrated Development Plan" based on three metropolitan axes: an industrial and tourism axis covering Seosan, Taean, Dangjin, and Naepo in South Chungcheong; a manufacturing and industrial axis linked to the capital region through Cheonan and Asan; and a research and administrative axis centered on the Daejeon area.

Lee also highlighted potential synergies from integrating infrastructure including water supply, electricity, and expressways.

"Currently, administrative boundaries make regional connections difficult for urban railways, industrial belts, and tourism corridor development," he said. "But integration would enable metropolitan-scale development such as an urban rail network extending to Okcheon, Geumsan, and Gongju."

He suggested possibilities for expanded regional transportation networks, including a Daejeon-South Chungcheong circular expressway and a Daejeon-Taean high-speed rail line crossing the province.

The mayor explained advantages of integrating living and industrial infrastructure. Daejeon has the lowest tap water rates in the country, and integrating its water supply network could reduce water costs across the region. South Chungcheong's approximately 200 percent electricity self-sufficiency rate could resolve Daejeon's power shortage issues—a critical factor for future industries such as artificial intelligence.

Housing issues could also be addressed with an expanded scope beyond Daejeon's city limits, he noted.

On research and medical industry expansion, Lee said KAIST's research functions could extend throughout the Chungcheong region, while Daejeon-based universities and university hospitals would gain expanded development foundations under a unified Daejeon-South Chungcheong special city system.

The mayor called on officials to set aside political vested interests and cooperate with integration efforts, citing sustainable urban development for future generations.

"More important than individual political standing is boldly achieving the noble values that the times demand for the development of this Chungcheong region where we live," Lee said. "There should be no opposition to integration due to political vested interests, so I am prepared to give up my vested interests first."

"The Daejeon-South Chungcheong integration is not simply an administrative boundary adjustment but a century-long development strategy for the Chungcheong region," he said. "We will swiftly pursue enactment of a special integration law, public deliberation, and cooperation with South Chungcheong Province to create a new model for Korea's balanced national development."