Over 300 civic organizations hold joint press conferences Monday

Groups criticize merger as hasty, ignoring each port's distinct role

'Centralization, not efficiency — regional port competitiveness at risk'

Civic groups hold a press conference at the Incheon City Hall briefing room Monday, calling on the government to withdraw its plan to merge the country's four port authorities. [Incheon CCEJ]
Civic groups hold a press conference at the Incheon City Hall briefing room Monday, calling on the government to withdraw its plan to merge the country's four port authorities. [Incheon CCEJ]

Civic groups in Busan, Incheon, Ulsan and South Jeolla Province have joined forces to oppose the government's plan to consolidate the country's four major port authorities into a single organization.

Organizations from each region held simultaneous press conferences Monday morning in Busan, Incheon, Ulsan and Gwangyang, calling on the government to immediately withdraw the merger plan for the four port authorities.

More than 300 civic organizations across the four regions took part in the joint action.

The groups strongly criticized the government's consolidation plan, saying it prioritizes organizational efficiency while failing to adequately account for the distinct functions and industrial characteristics of each port.

The government had included the merger of Busan Port Authority, Incheon Port Authority, Ulsan Port Authority and Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority in a public institution restructuring plan announced Thursday.

Local communities warned, however, that a uniform merger could actually weaken port competitiveness, given that the four ports serve fundamentally different functions and roles.

Busan Port operates as a world-class container and transshipment hub that must compete in global logistics, while Incheon Port serves as the primary gateway for Greater Seoul freight and trade with China.

Ulsan Port supports the national energy industry by handling oil and gas, while Yeosu Gwangyang Port manages logistics for key national industries including steel and petrochemicals — differences the groups said demand distinct development strategies for each port.

The civic organizations said a merger that ignores these differences would only expand the size of the organization while undermining on-the-ground responsiveness and expertise.

They particularly stressed that the port industry faces fierce competition from global shipping lines, cargo owners and logistics companies, making swift decision-making and port-specific investment and development strategies essential.

The groups also said the efficiency rationale the government has offered to justify the merger has not been sufficiently examined.

They argued that areas where multiple port authorities can already collaborate — such as joint research, international cooperation and public outreach — can be expanded through existing cooperative frameworks, and that there is no compelling reason to merge the organizations themselves.

The groups also raised concerns that consolidating the port authorities could negatively affect decentralization and balanced regional development.

They said that because each port authority has been rooted in its local community, linking port operations with surrounding industries and the regional economy, the merger process risks diminishing the voice and role of local stakeholders.

"The four ports differ entirely in function, industrial structure and the characteristics of their hinterlands," a representative of the civic organizations said. "The government needs to go back to square one and seriously reconsider whether merging them into a single organization would actually strengthen port competitiveness."

"Ports are not simply public institutions — they are the backbone of national logistics and regional economies," the representative added. "The government must halt this unilateral push for consolidation and shift its policy toward strengthening the expertise and autonomy of each individual port."

The civic groups said they would broaden solidarity across the four port regions and mount a coordinated response if the government presses ahead with the merger.

In a joint statement Monday, civic organizations from Busan, Incheon, Ulsan and South Jeolla Province vowed to "stand together to the end to prevent the forced merger of the four port authorities and protect the competitiveness of South Korea's ports and the future of our regions."


gilbert@heraldcorp.com