Elections for unified metropolitan city mayors following administrative mergers are emerging as the biggest issue in the June 3 local elections. While mergers are proceeding relatively smoothly in South Jeolla-Gwangju and Daegu-North Gyeongsang, discussions in South Chungcheong-Daejeon have stalled amid local opposition.
On the 22nd, the Democratic Party of Korea's Special Committee on South Chungcheong-Daejeon Integration and Chungcheong Development held a press conference at the National Assembly. "The South Chungcheong-Daejeon administrative merger is on the verge of collapse due to opposition from the People Power Party, which is consumed by political calculation," the committee said, urging the party to "join the cause for the region's future."
South Chungcheong and Daejeon were the first among local governments nationwide to propose administrative integration, but discussions have been delayed as opposition has grown recently.
Political circles in the South Chungcheong-Daejeon region and the People Power Party are pushing back against the government and ruling party-led merger, calling it "hasty." In Daejeon particularly, opposition to the merger exceeds support. The People Power Party, which proposed the need for integration before the government did, agrees on the necessity but appears focused on attacking the ruling party to avoid losing initiative.
Despite some resistance, potential candidates for unified metropolitan city mayor are accelerating their campaigns. Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo and South Chungcheong Governor Kim Tae-heum, both of the People Power Party, are considered likely to run for the merged city's mayorship.
For the Democratic Party, speculation about Kang Hoon-sik's candidacy is the biggest variable. While Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik has not clearly expressed his intention to run, he leads expected intraparty rivals—including former South Chungcheong Governor Yang Seung-jo and Representatives Park Soo-hyun, Bok Ki-wang, and Park Beom-kye—in various polls.
Daegu and North Gyeongsang are seeing relatively smooth progress despite some local opposition. With many candidates concentrated in Daegu, a People Power Party stronghold, observers predict the election landscape could shift dramatically if the unified metropolitan city election proceeds. Among Daegu mayoral contenders—including Representatives Joo Ho-young, Yoon Jae-ok, Choo Kyung-ho, Choi Eun-seok, and Yoo Young-ha, as well as former Korea Communications Commission Chair Lee Jin-sook—some are expected to withdraw if the constituency expands to include North Gyeongsang.
Integration in South Jeolla and Gwangju is also progressing rapidly. While some issues remain, such as the distribution of main government buildings, smooth merger discussions are underway amid general consensus, including plans to establish a hub for future advanced industries such as artificial intelligence. The mayoral election is expected to unfold as an internal competition among Democratic Party candidates, including incumbent Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung, South Jeolla Governor Kim Young-rok, and Representatives Min Hyung-bae, Shin Jung-hoon, Lee Gae-ho, Jung Jun-ho, and Joo Cheol-hyun.