South Chungcheong Province Governor Kim Tae-heum criticized what he called "black propaganda" surrounding the failed administrative merger between the province and Daejeon Metropolitan City.
"With the February extraordinary session ending on the 3rd, the Chungnam-Daejeon administrative integration has become virtually impossible," Kim said at a press briefing on Tuesday. "Black propaganda such as 'They rejected 20 trillion won' and 'Chungnam will be left out' is running rampant."
Kim accused the Democratic Party of shifting blame. "The Democratic Party is deflecting responsibility, claiming the merger failed due to opposition from me and the People Power Party. But isn't this a legislative dictatorship where the ruling party passes all laws unilaterally?" he said. "They could have forced it through alone, yet they staged fasting protests, head-shaving, and sit-ins. I urge them to stop deceiving the public and apologize for pushing a bill with no fiscal provisions or authority transfers."
The governor dismissed claims of 20 trillion won in promised support. "The 20 trillion won figure came from a single remark by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok. Nothing is specified in the bill—no funding sources, no distribution methods. It has no substance," Kim said. "Then why did they reject our demand for 36 trillion won over four years, or 9 trillion won permanently each year?"
Kim characterized the "Chungnam exclusion theory" as "a shallow ploy and malicious framing designed to intimidate residents for political gain." He added that demands for the People Power Party to adopt pro-merger positions on Daegu-North Gyeongsang and Daejeon-Chungnam mergers represent "a Democratic Party strategy to divide and create internal conflict within the PPP."
"They pressured us saying, 'Daegu-North Gyeongsang is doing it, so Daejeon-Chungnam will miss a good opportunity.' But I believe their intention from the start was to pass only the Gwangju-South Jeolla merger," Kim said. "If three regions proceed simultaneously, securing funding without tax reform would be nearly impossible for the government to manage."
Despite his criticism, Kim emphasized that merger discussions should continue. "Even if integration is delayed, we must address these problems and create a merger bill that includes the fiscal and authority transfers we demand, to be implemented in two to four years. A hasty merger driven by time pressure is unacceptable," he said.
Kim called for establishing an equal-representation special committee in the National Assembly and a pan-government body to draft legislation ensuring all regions receive identical support.
"I once again urge President Lee Jae-myung to present a permanent integration plan that realizes true local autonomy, resolves the concentration of power in the capital region, and achieves balanced national development," Kim said.