Busan, Ulsan, Incheon and Yeosu-Gwangyang port authorities urged to maintain independent management
Gwangyang Mayor Park Seong-hyeon has called on the government to halt its push to merge the country's four major port authorities — those of Busan, Incheon, Ulsan and Yeosu-Gwangyang.
Park previously served as president of the Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority (YGPA) before winning the June 3 local elections.
In a statement delivered Wednesday at city hall, Park said the proposed consolidation "is not a simple administrative reorganization but a critical matter that determines the future of the eastern region's industrial base and balanced regional growth — a serious measure that would undermine the competitiveness of Gwangyang Port and threaten the future of the local economy," given the weight the port and the YGPA carry for the region.
The YGPA is a national public institution headquartered in eastern South Jeolla Province. Gwangyang Port serves as a key gateway for raw materials imports and product exports for major national industries, including Posco's Gwangyang steelworks and the Yeosu National Industrial Complex, while also helping companies cut logistics costs and supporting local job creation.
Gwangyang city outlined three main objections to the merger: concerns that investment would become concentrated at certain regional ports, reduced market responsiveness under a centralized organization, and gaps in site-specific safety management that could heighten the risk of serious industrial accidents.
Park said "the path consistent with the current government's '5 poles, 3 specials' regional balanced-growth policy is not merger but strengthening the autonomy and expertise of regional ports," adding that the city would "work together with local industry, civic organizations, business associations and the 150,000 citizens of Gwangyang to strongly defend the autonomy and independence of the Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority."
parkds@heraldcorp.com
