Gwangyang civic groups protest South Korean port authority merger

Civil society organizations in Gwangyang have formed the ‘Gwangyang Citizens' Solidarity Committee Against Port Authority Integration’ to protest the South Korean government's plan to merge the nation's four major port authorities into a single entity, tentatively named the ‘Korea Port Authority.’

On November 11, representatives from various local groups, including the Gwangyang YMCA, YWCA, and the Gwangyang Environmental Movement Federation, held a press conference demanding the immediate withdrawal of the integration plan. The government's proposal, announced as part of a public institution reform initiative, seeks to consolidate the Busan, Incheon, Ulsan, and Yeosu Gwangyang port authorities into one central organization, converting existing authorities into regional branches.

The committee argues that centralizing planning and policy authority will strip Gwangyang Port of its autonomy, reducing it to a mere subordinate branch. They contend this will hinder the port's ability to respond quickly to local industrial demands, particularly in critical sectors such as steel, petrochemicals, and secondary batteries. Furthermore, they emphasized that the Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority serves as a vital economic pillar and a key national public institution in the eastern region, and that its independence is essential for regional balanced development and preventing local extinction.