Rep. Kwon Young-jin questions officials during the National Assembly's Administration and Security Committee national audit of North Gyeongsang Province at the provincial government headquarters in Andong on Tuesday. [Photo by Kim Byung-jin]
Rep. Kwon Young-jin questions officials during the National Assembly's Administration and Security Committee national audit of North Gyeongsang Province at the provincial government headquarters in Andong on Tuesday. [Photo by Kim Byung-jin]

Rep. Kwon Young-jin called on North Gyeongsang Province and Daegu to show greater sincerity in pushing forward the Daegu-North Gyeongsang administrative merger and the construction of a new integrated airport, speaking Tuesday at the National Assembly's Administration and Security Committee national audit held at the North Gyeongsang provincial government headquarters in Andong.

"For the Daegu-North Gyeongsang administrative merger to be completed by the next general election, a special law must pass this year — but the level of commitment does not look as strong as it did when the effort was first launched," Kwon said. He urged North Gyeongsang Governor Lee Cheol-woo and Daegu Mayor Choo Kyung-ho to meet with the National Assembly, the leaders of both parties and, ultimately, the president.

Kwon also recalled that during his time as Daegu mayor, he and the governor had confirmed the relocation site for the new integrated airport. "It has been drifting for six years since then," he said. "When you go out and ask residents, there is a lot of negative sentiment — people keep wondering whether it will ever happen because it keeps getting delayed."

He said that in the process of selecting a military airport relocation site for the new integrated airport, he had visited the defense minister multiple times alongside the governor and had even traveled to Gwangju to persuade a single dissenting lawmaker.

"If the merger is truly urgent, the will of residents must be rallied again, and the governor and mayor must meet with the president and move him to act — that is the only way this can happen," Kwon said, urging stronger resolve and concrete action.

In response, North Gyeongsang Governor Lee said the special bill for the Daegu-North Gyeongsang administrative merger had cleared the Assembly's Administration and Security Committee but had yet to pass the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. On the new airport, Lee said construction could be fully funded by selling land at Daegu's K2 air base once the construction market improves.


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