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4 clusters · 6 sources · 15 days · First seen · Last updated

Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do administrative integration

Overview

Daegu City and Gyeongsangbuk-do province have initiated a renewed effort toward administrative integration, aiming to establish an integrated special city by July 2028. To strengthen this push, leadership of the integration task force has been elevated to the level of deputy mayors. Officials are working to ensure the necessary special law passes the National Assembly, with the goal of addressing regional priorities such as the TK New Airport and the attraction of public institutions.

Gyeongsangbuk-do is further advancing this through its ‘2026 Local Sovereignty Era Completion Strategy.’ This execution plan is designed to combat regional challenges, including population decline, youth outflow, and the concentration of resources in the Seoul metropolitan area. The strategy is built upon four major pillars: autonomy, growth, living, and talent, encompassing 12 core tasks.

A central component of this strategy is the administrative integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk, alongside the establishment of a super-regional growth system. The province aims to transition from a central government-led decision-making structure to a system where local governments design and execute policies based on their own authority and finances. This broader effort seeks to achieve a combined population of 5 million and a 3% annual GRDP growth rate by 2030.

As of late 2026, efforts to pass the required special law through the National Assembly have intensified. The integration is increasingly viewed as a necessity to combat rapid population decline; projections indicate the combined population could drop from 4.92 million in 2025 to 3.96 million by 2052. The proposed special law seeks to grant the new entity fiscal and administrative autonomy comparable to Seoul.

Entities

Daegu · National Assembly of South Korea · Gyeongsangbuk-do · Gyeongsangbuk-do · Lee Cheol-u

Timeline

  1. [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Gyeongsangbuk-do unveils strategy for local sovereignty era

    Gyeongsangbuk-do has unveiled a strategy for the ‘2026 Local Sovereignty Era,’ focusing on four pillars to combat regional decline and empower local autonomy through administrative integration and talent retain

  2. [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do seek administrative integration by 2028

    Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do are pushing for a special law to pass this year, aiming to launch an Integrated Special City by 2028 to combat population decline and boost regional economic growth.

  3. [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Gyeongsangbuk-do announces local sovereignty plan for regional autonomy

    Gyeongsangbuk-do announced a 'Local Sovereignty' plan to gain self-determination over regional policy and finance, aiming for administrative integration with Daegu by 2028 and population growth by 2030.

  4. [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do push for administrative integration

    Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do are intensifying efforts to pass a special law for administrative integration, aiming to launch an integrated special city by July 2028.

Sources

biz.heraldcorp.com · hidomin.com · idaegu.com · m.imaeil.com · seoul.co.kr · sisajournal.com

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history