Daegu, North Gyeongsang committees hold joint workshop on balanced growth strategy and administrative merger

The Daegu City Regional Era Committee and the North Gyeongsang Province Regional Era Committee held a joint workshop Wednesday at the Hilton Hotel in Gyeongju.

The workshop brought together committee members from both regions to share the central government's policy direction and examine key issues in the administrative merger process, drawing on the experience of South Jeolla Province and Gwangju, which pursued a similar merger ahead of the two regions.

About 50 people attended, including Lee Byung-hun, acting chair of the Presidential Regional Era Committee, Ha Se-heon, chair of the Daegu City Regional Era Committee, Ha Hye-su, chair of the North Gyeongsang Province Regional Era Committee, and other committee members and civil servants from both regions.

Lee opened the event with a keynote address on the central government's "five-pole, three-special" national balanced growth strategy under the People's Sovereignty Government, outlining the administration's policy direction and future priorities.

Moon Tae-gyeong, director of the local government policy division at North Gyeongsang Province, then briefed attendees on the progress of the Daegu–North Gyeongsang administrative merger. Min Hyeon-jeong, head of the future strategy research division at the Gwangju Research Institute, followed with lessons and key issues from the South Jeolla–Gwangju merger, focusing on the significance and challenges of launching a special integrated city.

Committee members from both regions listened to the briefings before moving into a general discussion.

The discussion covered a range of views on key issues to consider in pursuing the Daegu–North Gyeongsang merger, future tasks, and directions for cooperation between the two regions.

Ha Se-heon said the workshop gave Daegu and North Gyeongsang committee members a chance to think through regional challenges together and chart a path forward in line with the government's five-pole, three-special balanced growth framework.

Ha Hye-su said the workshop was a meaningful occasion to collectively reflect on administrative integration — the most pressing shared priority for both North Gyeongsang Province and Daegu.