[INTERVIEW] 'DPK Lee's balanced development plans aimed at national restructuring'

Rep. Kim Du-kwan of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea / Courtesy of Kim's office

By Nam Hyun-woo

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung is seeking to group Korea's large cities into regional megacities in order to address the severe concentration of the country's economy and infrastructure in the capital area.

DPK Rep. Kim Du-kwan, who is also chief of the balanced regional development committee in Lee's camp, said the plan's ultimate purpose is to restructure the country, to enable smoother economic growth and political stability.

"There is a global trend where the number of megacities, having about 5 million to 10 million inhabitants, is growing, and this is because a region is now considered as a separate unit in the global economic competition," Kim said during an email interview with The Korea Times.

"So far, Korea has been relying on the metropolitan city system as its main administrative scheme, but it is necessary to bind them into larger units."

Kim, a former minister of the interior and safety and governor of South Gyeongsang Province, is known as one of the main contributors in shaping candidate Lee's regional development pledges. Throughout his political career, Kim has been championing the necessity of balanced development, calling for the forming of multiple megacities in the interior and southern regions of the country.

Such an idea became the foundation of Lee's election manifesto on balanced regional development.

In January, Lee announced the idea of "five poles and three special provinces," which is a developed version of Kim's idea of five poles and two special provinces. Lee's plan is aimed at grouping large cities in the Chungcheong provinces; Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province; Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province; Gwangju and South Jeolla Province; and Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area to form five poles in the country. Gangwon, North Jeolla Province and Jeju will become special self-governing provinces, according to Lee's camp.

A month later, Lee also pledged to group those poles into two "hyper metropolitan regions," by binding the Jeolla provinces in southwestern side of the country and the Gyeongsang provinces in the southeast to form a southern metropolitan region, and grouping Seoul with Gyeonggi, North and South Chungcheong and Gangwon provinces to form a central metropolitan area.

"From a broader perspective, the idea is about making two giant metropolitan areas," Kim said. "Combining Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province will create a megacity region; Jeolla provinces and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, is about a forming a southern metropolitan area, with a goal of having a 24 million population zone, creating 4 million jobs and achieving a regional economic growth rate of 5 percent."

Kim said the central government's role will be important until the regional groups have their own economic sustainability, industrial capability and administrative discretion. For this, he stressed the necessity of transportation infrastructure, such as railways between cities, in order to integrate small cities too.

Rep. Kim Du-kwan of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), left, and DPK presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung holding a policy book during the latter's visit to the former's office at the National Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, Oct. 28, 2021. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-keun

Taking the central role in Lee and Kim's concept of a southern metropolitan region will be the proposed megacity comprised of Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province. Currently, debates are ongoing between municipal governments of the three regions to form an integrated council and government complex.

"Candidate Lee promised the idea of forming a megacity made up of Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province several times, and this was also agreed by the main opposition People Power Party candidate Yoon Suk-yeol," Kim said.

"However, the difference is that Lee's promise is a part of the idea of the five poles and three special provinces, which is aimed at improving the country's fundamental capabilities through national restructuring. On the other hand, Yoon's idea is that he agrees with the megacity plan but has not supported it actively. The candidates differ in their broader perspectives and action plans for balanced regional development."

As part of the plan for the southeastern megacity, Kim has been proposing moving the Supreme Court to Busan from Seoul in order to disperse the country's levers of power.

"Along with industrial infrastructure, I believe it is important to distribute state authority to the southern metropolitan area," Kim said. "Most of Korea's administrative functions are now based in Sejong, but the southern area does not have a state organization that befits its status. The judiciary's relocation to Busan will improve the southern area's status as well as improving the morale of residents."

Kim noted that the president's commitment is the most important factor for balanced regional development, citing the precedent of former President Roh Moo-hyun, who was in office from 2003 to 2008.

"To enable balanced regional development, the president, who is at the pinnacle of the country's power, should give up his centralized power to some extent and have a strong commitment for regional development," Kim said.

"Former President Roh endorsed an act on a new administrative capital as part of his plans for balanced regional development. Though the act was found to be unconstitutional, he was able to identify other ways to construct an administrative city, as well as giving up the central government's financial rights, and this became the city of Sejong. This shows the president's commitment is the most important factor in regional development."

Regarding rumors that he will run for the South Gyeongsang Province governor post in regional elections slated for June, Kim said helping Lee's presidential race is his top priority, adding he will not give up his lawmaker post in order to run in the election. To run for regional elections scheduled for June 1, lawmakers will have to resign by May 2.