Ruling party's plan to enlarge Seoul sparks debate in run-up to general elections

People Power Party Chairman Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, second from right, is seen wearing a hard hat with other officals inside a subway carriage on the Gimpo Gold Line in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Yonhap

A plan by the ruling People Power Party (PPP) to incorporate Gimpo, a city in Gyeonggi Province, into Seoul, is stirring up controversy, since the move is apparently viewed as a tactic to woo voters in the capital and its surrounding regions ahead of parliamentary elections next year.

Dubbed by the conservative party as the "Megacity Seoul" scheme, the plan aims to incorporate Gimpo into Seoul to create a megacity with a population of over 10 million. Seoul's population currently stands at 9.43 million and Gimpo has around 500,000 residents.

After the idea was disclosed by PPP chairman Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon on Monday, discussions have begun about expanding the capital to also include other satellite cities neighboring Seoul, such as Hanam, Guri and Gwangmyeoung.

The agenda, which the PPP claims was reviewed by the party, was announced just six months ahead of the general elections slated for April next year.

The Gimpo City Government welcomed the proposal, considering the anticipated benefits of being part of the capital, such as acceleration in the development of city infrastructure and increased housing prices.

"If incorporated into Seoul, Gimpo residents can expect an improved quality of life, as they will gain access to the transportation, resources and infrastructure available in Seoul," said Gimpo Mayor Kim Byung-soo during a local radio, Tuesday.

Gimpo Mayor Kim Byung-soo speaks during a meeting on measures to ease chronic congestion on the Gimpo Goldline, held at Korea Airports Corporation in Gangseo District, Seoul, April 25. Joint Press Corps

Plus, Gimpo's ongoing struggle to ease notorious congestion on the Gimpo Goldline – a two-carriage subway line that connects the city to the Seoul subway network – may see progress once the city becomes part of the capital.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, a PPP member, remained neutral on the matter. Oh is set to meet the Gimpo mayor on Monday to discuss issues involving the city's possible incorporation into the capital.

"We will conduct in-depth research into whether Gimpo's incorporation into Seoul will be of benefit to Seoul's future competitiveness, what potential drawbacks there may be and what impact it will have on the quality of life of Seoul citizens," he said during a briefing, Wednesday.

On the other hand, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon was skeptical about losing Gimpo to Seoul.

In a recent radio interview, Kim described the proposal as "neither something to be considered nor feasible."

This may be because Gimpo's incorporation into Seoul may thwart the governor's ambitious project to divide the province into North Gyeonggi and South Gyeonggi provinces, with an aim to spur the development of the less-wealthy northern region.

Debates aside, there are many hurdles at the National Assembly for the envisioned incorporation to be realized.

A possible scenario would be for the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to submit a bill to the National Assembly to change the administrative boundaries between Gyeonggi Province and Seoul, after gathering the opinions of Gimpo, Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. But this would be difficult if the local governments are at loggerheads.

Another option is for the PPP to submit a special law revising administrative boundaries. If the special law is passed by the National Assembly, Gimpo can be incorporated into the capital, even if Seoul or Gyeonggi Province opposes it.

Either way, support from the opposition parties is key to the legislation process.

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which holds a majority of the Assembly seats, said the plan had come "completely out of the blue."

"It is highly inappropriate to bring up such a populist agenda ahead of the elections....There will be differing opinions among Gimpo residents and among Seoul residents as well," DPK floor leader Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo said during a radio interview, Wednesday.

Yet, wary of voters in Gimpo, Hong did not oppose the plan itself, saying that his party is ready to discuss reorganizing the nation's overall administrative division system.

Shin Yul, a professor of political science at Myongji University, viewed that discussions about Gimpo's incorporation could be a double-edged sword for the PPP.

"The agenda may not be that appealing to Seoul voters. And the party may lose votes from Gyeonggi regions other than Gimpo because residents there may feel a sense of discrimination if only Gimpo gets incorporated into Seoul," he said.

"The PPP should carefully consider its next move if they want to win as many seats as possible in the capital region."