Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Yeosu in South Jeolla Province has decided to merge with nearby Suncheon and Gwangyang by 2010 to make a combined administrative unit with a population of 710,000, the city mayor said Thursday.
Mayors of the three cities _ Oh Hyun-sup of Yeosu, Roh Kwan-kyu of Suncheon and Lee Sung-woong of Gwangyang _ will sign a memorandum of understanding to this effect before Nov. 27.
The merger is also expected to help Yeosu in its bid to host the World Expo 2012. The city on its own was smaller than its rivals in population _ Tangiers in Morocco with 550,000 and Wroclaw in Poland with 700,000.
Oh said the merger was essential for the economic development of the regions and for the Expo bid. The three cities began talks in 2000, but the bid accelerated negotiations, he added. The integrated city will be the largest in the province, allowing more chances to enhance the development of Gwangyang Bay, which is a free economic zone.
The three cities will gather citizens' ideas, undergo the local assemblies' audit and hold a referendum of all residents. If these are successful, the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs will map out a special law on the case and submit it to the National Assembly for approval. Once the law passes, a 1,856 square kilometer city comprising three districts will be created.
According to Yeosu Community Research Institute, 62.6 percent of Yeosu residents, 65.1 percent of Suncheon residents and 60.9 percent of Gwangyang residents were in favor of the merger.