PPP leadership, Daegu hold budget policy talks, seek support for new airport and administrative merger

Daegu city held a budget policy consultation with People Power Party leadership Wednesday, requesting party-level support for key regional issues including the transfer of the TK new airport project to state control and passage of a special law on the Daegu-North Gyeongsang Province administrative merger before year's end.

The meeting took place Wednesday afternoon at the main building of the National Assembly, with about 20 attendees including Daegu Mayor Choo Kyung-ho, PPP Party Leader Jang Dong-hyeok, Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik, Policy Committee Chairperson Im I-ja and local lawmakers.

At the meeting, Mayor Choo stressed the need to guarantee the statutory funding base for local allocation taxes and called for support on several fronts: transferring the TK new airport project to state leadership, passing the Daegu-North Gyeongsang administrative merger special law within the year, selecting Kyungpook National University for the "10 Seoul National Universities" project, and attracting a national dental research institute and a multipurpose domed stadium to the city.

Daegu city also requested amendments to legislation related to the TK new airport, financial cost support, and passage of the special law needed to launch the integrated metropolitan city by 2028.

Among nationally funded projects, the city pressed for Kyungpook National University's additional selection and the allocation of 70 billion won ($52.1 million) in national funds, along with a humanoid robot specialized complex linkage project and the scale-up of public wastewater treatment facilities at the Daegu National Industrial Complex.

The city further requested support for seven policy issues — including a second round of public institution relocations and the development of a culture and arts hub on the former provincial government site — as well as 54 nationally funded projects spanning advanced industries, transportation, the environment and cultural tourism.

"I ask for the party's and the Assembly's special attention and support during this regular session to resolve key issues such as the shift to state-led construction of the TK new airport and to secure national budget funding," Mayor Choo said.

PPP Party Leader Jang Dong-hyeok responded by pledging to secure funding for the administrative merger and the new airport, calling them "groundbreaking national-level projects that must be pushed forward swiftly." Jang added that the PPP would "run together with Daegu as one team" to ensure that the humanoid robot complex linkage project and the public wastewater treatment facility scale-up serve as catalysts for the city's resurgence.

PPP Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik said Daegu stands at "a critical turning point to innovate its industrial structure and chart a new future for the city." Jeong added that the construction of the Daegu-North Gyeongsang integrated airport, the administrative merger and the culture and arts hub are "issues that will determine Daegu's course for the next hundred years," and that the Assembly would do its utmost to provide support.