Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do push for judicial relocation and administrative integration

Efforts to promote regional balanced development in South Korea are intensifying through two major initiatives in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region.

The Daegu Bar Association has announced plans to launch a committee next month to advocate for relocating the Supreme Court to Daegu. Proponents argue that moving the court would alleviate the concentration of judicial power in the Seoul metropolitan area and promote regional growth. The push coincides with a planned increase in the number of Supreme Court justices between 2028 and 2030, which will necessitate expanded facilities. While current law requires the Supreme Court to be located in Seoul, legislative amendments have already been proposed to facilitate such a move.

Simultaneously, Gyeongsangbuk-do province is actively lobbying the National Assembly to expedite the passage of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Administrative Integration Special Act. Officials met with the Chairperson of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to request a swift review during the September regular session. The goal of the integration is to create a new regional development model that enhances local autonomy and competitiveness to counter the dominance of the capital region. Gyeongsangbuk-do is coordinating with Daegu City to persuade political leaders of the law's necessity for national balanced development.