Rep. Park Beom-kye of the Democratic Party of Korea repeatedly urged passage of the Daejeon-South Chungcheong administrative merger bill during the March extraordinary session of the National Assembly. "The government's promised 20 trillion won in support is clear. This is absolutely necessary so young people can stay in their hometowns," he emphasized.
In an interview with KBS 1 Radio's "Jeongyeok Sisa" on March 3, Rep. Park stated, "The merger bill is not an end but a beginning," adding that "even if it passes during the March extraordinary session, it won't be too late for the local election schedule." Rep. Park had previously announced his intention to run for the first mayor of the integrated Daejeon-South Chungcheong Special City. Regarding his decision to shave his head on February 28 to urge passage of the bill, he explained it was "to convey the urgency."
He argued that if the merger is achieved, "a new growth axis for South Korea will be established in Daejeon-South Chungcheong," adding that "this will lead to job creation, giving future generations and young people opportunities to build their lives without having to leave for Seoul and the capital region."
"It is extremely important that the bill's title declares the 'construction of a city centered on economy, science, and national defense,'" he said, adding, "We will combine the foundational technologies of Daedeok Research Complex with South Chungcheong's manufacturing base to create a 'Chungcheong Silicon Valley.'"
Rep. Park also presented his vision that, if elected as the integrated city's mayor, he would designate the entire Daejeon-South Chungcheong region as a regulatory sandbox, or testbed, to explosively grow startups and new industries.
Regarding government financial support, he noted, "The 20 trillion won in support over four years at 5 trillion won annually was declared by the President and Prime Minister," adding that "distrust of the government is a politically combative and competitive mindset." He explained that compared to Gwangju-South Jeolla and Daegu-North Gyeongsang, which are also pursuing administrative mergers, "the special provisions for legislation and financial support are all the same."
He directly criticized the People Power Party for opposing the Daejeon-South Chungcheong merger bill, calling it "for electoral purposes." Rep. Park said, "The Daejeon-South Chungcheong merger bill was originally introduced by Rep. Sung Il-jong of the People Power Party last year," adding, "When President Lee Jae-myung declared regionally-led growth and accepted it outright, they ended up opposing it for their own job security and electoral purposes rather than residents' interests—a tragicomic situation."
Regarding the possibility of the merger failing before the local elections, he emphasized, "Even if it passes in March, it won't be too late, and after checking with the National Election Commission, hope is still alive." On his future plans if the merger falls through, he said, "I am considering it," adding, "Whoever runs for South Chungcheong governor or Daejeon mayor must complete the merger within their two-year term."