Busan city, Democratic Party and People Power Party hold joint development conference

Park Hong-bae: 'No partisan divide on Busan's development — will push for national budget'

Lee Seong-gwon: 'Disclose lobbying efforts on Korea Development Bank relocation'

Jeon Jae-soo: 'Premature disclosure could derail ongoing negotiations'

Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo (center), Democratic Party of Korea Busan chapter Chairman Park Hong-bae (left) and People Power Party Busan chapter Chairman Lee Seong-gwon hold a ruling-opposition-city hall cooperation conference at Busan City Hall on Wednesday. [Busan city government]
Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo (center), Democratic Party of Korea Busan chapter Chairman Park Hong-bae (left) and People Power Party Busan chapter Chairman Lee Seong-gwon hold a ruling-opposition-city hall cooperation conference at Busan City Hall on Wednesday. [Busan city government]

Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo, Democratic Party of Korea Busan chapter Chairman Park Hong-bae and People Power Party Busan chapter Chairman Lee Seong-gwon convened a ruling-opposition-city hall conference at Busan City Hall on Wednesday morning to discuss major municipal issues and strategies for securing national budget funds for 2027. The meeting came together after Lee proposed it at a budget policy consultation between the PPP and the city on Sept. 2.

Mayor Jeon put forward nine pressing agenda items: a second round of public institution relocations to the regions, the on-schedule opening of Gadeok Island New Airport, the conversion of Busan Baptist Hospital into a public hospital, the establishment of a safe drinking water supply system, the underground routing of the Gyeongbu Line railway, the development of a multimodal transit hub at Bujeon Station, the attraction of a global AI hub, a tiered industrial electricity rate system, and the creation of a K-content complex cultural space.

The parties also discussed 17 key projects for which the city is seeking national funding next year. The list included the establishment of a National Quantum Innovation Center with a total project cost of 480 billion won ($353 million), along with a blockchain creative district, a maritime and port AI transformation demonstration center, a next-generation power semiconductor production platform, and an AI transformation initiative for the Eco Delta Smart City national pilot project. Ten of the 17 are new projects, making cross-party cooperation essential ahead of National Assembly budget deliberations.

Each party also raised its own policy priorities. The Democratic Party proposed five items: the establishment of a Southeast Korea Investment Corporation, the construction of a multipurpose dome arena in Busan, the North Port redevelopment project, hosting the fourth UN Ocean Conference in 2028, and the designation of the Nakdong River as a national garden. The PPP submitted five of its own: attracting the headquarters of an integrated low-cost carrier to Busan, passage of the Global Hub City Special Act, designation of the Nakdong River estuary as a national urban park, reconstruction of Sajik Baseball Stadium, and consolidation of port authorities.

The PPP in particular highlighted the Korea Development Bank relocation and the need to bring construction costs for Gadeok Island New Airport in line with reality. PPP Chairman Lee pressed Mayor Jeon on the bank relocation, saying that at the previous budget policy consultation Jeon had mentioned he was in contact with and lobbying relevant agencies — including Cheong Wa Dae, the Office for Government Policy Coordination and the Korea Development Bank president — but had not shared specifics or the government's response. "I have since made my own contact with the Korea Development Bank," Lee said, "so let us discuss a relocation strategy based on the information each of us has."

Lee also proposed resolving construction companies' concerns over soaring costs at Gadeok Island New Airport through amendments to total project cost management guidelines or the enforcement decree of the State Contracts Act. On Sajik Baseball Stadium, he said the project had already cleared a preliminary feasibility study and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism had approved close to 30 billion won in national funding, with the city, the baseball club and the central government all having reached an agreement — yet the city had still not stated a clear position. He called for a discussion on what road map the city had in mind.

Democratic Party Busan chapter Chairman Park Hong-bae said there was no partisan divide when it came to advancing key projects and securing national funding. "For new projects aimed at Busan's development that were not reflected in next year's government budget proposal, and for projects that were included but at insufficient funding levels requiring increases during the National Assembly review process, I will use my position as a member of the National Assembly Budget and Accounts Committee to help secure national funds for Busan," he said.

On the Korea Development Bank relocation, Mayor Jeon said he was doing everything in his power, from the bank's president and the minister of land, infrastructure and transport to the chief policy secretary and the president. "Some details are still not fully worked out, and speaking too soon could create obstacles," he said cautiously. On the question of reconstructing Sajik Baseball Stadium, he said public opinion gathering was in its final stages and that a forum to explain the situation to citizens in a predictable way would be arranged soon.

On attracting the headquarters of an integrated low-cost carrier to Busan, Jeon asked both parties to exercise political judgment, questioning whether summoning Korean Air representatives as witnesses at a National Assembly national audit and putting them on the spot would produce any tangible results.


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com