Ruling party-driven 'Mega Seoul' plan faces uncertainty

A banner promoting the idea of incorporating Gimpo into Seoul is hung over a street in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, Nov. 2, 2023. Newsis

The ruling People Power Party's (PPP) drive to incorporate Gimpo and several cities adjacent to Seoul into the capital is feared to be falling apart in the wake of its general election defeat in many of the electoral districts that border Seoul.

In the April 10 elections, candidates of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) took all National Assembly seats representing Gimpo, Goyang, Uiwang, Guri and Gwacheon, all of which showed interest in the mega-city initiative, first proposed by then-People Power Party Chairman Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon in November last year.

At the time, the DPK strongly opposed the idea, denouncing it as an ill-advised populist plan to curry favor with voters before the elections.

The ruling party is now losing momentum in continuing with its proposed plan.

Kim Ju-young, an electee in the Gimpo-A constituency, emphasized that incorporation is not an immediate priority. He stressed the need for proper infrastructure development in Gimpo before considering such a plan.

Similarly, Rep. Park Sang-hyuk, who successfully defended his parliamentary seat representing the Gimpo-B constituency, stressed the necessity of conducting a thorough review of the reorganization of administrative districts, pointing out the lack of a thorough assessment regarding Gimpo's incorporation into Seoul.

Critics argue that this pledge failed to gain sufficient support based on the consensus of the voters.

In February, before the general elections, Han Dong-hoon, former interim leader of the PPP, announced plans to propose a bill to add Gimpo into Seoul and divide Gyeonggi Province into north and south divisions.

According to political observers, discussions for the mega city plan are likely to fade away and, in the lead-up to the local elections in 2026, may resurface — even though the issue is not expected to draw as much attention as it did before.

Meanwhile, Gimpo Mayor Kim Byung-soo, from the PPP, said he is determined to continue advocating for the mega city plan during a New Year's press conference in February.

He shared he intends to reintroduce the incorporation bill in the 22nd National Assembly, even if it couldn't be addressed in the 21st National Assembly.

The special act proposed by the PPP in the 21st National Assembly for Gimpo's incorporation into Seoul is currently being scrapped without a referendum before the general elections.