Jeonbuk State, local politicians, and Jeonju-si held a joint press conference on the 21st to express their strong commitment to advance for the integration of Wanju and Jeonju. They announced that 105 mutual growth and development plans, which were proposed and agreed upon by residents, would be codified into the 'Integrated City Establishment Act.

 

"On this day, Governor Kim Kwan-young, along with National Assembly members Jung Dong-young and Lee Seong-yoon, and Jeonju-si Mayor Woo Beom-gi, emphasized that the current integration initiative is citizen-driven, vowing not to repeat past failures, and unveiled concrete implementation plans for its execution."

 

First, there are plans to incorporate the 105 mutual cooperation measures into the "Integrated City Establishment Act" to grant them legal effectiveness. This can be interpreted as an effort to ensure the fulfillment of promises made between residents, similar to the past case of the Cheongju-Cheongwon integration, by embedding them into law.

 

In addition, it was announced that an official request would be made to the government and the National Assembly for the designation of a "hub special city" in connection with the Wanju-Jeonju integration. A special city would be granted authority comparable to that of a metropolitan city, and Wanju would be envisioned to play a central role in the special city based on its solid infrastructure and growth foundation. This initiative is also one of President Lee Jae-myung's campaign pledges and serves as a key policy for balanced regional development outside the capital area, with discussions already underway at the government level.

 

At the same time, in order to guarantee the rights and interests of residents following integration, Jeonbuk State enacted the 'Ordinance on Win-Win Development of Integrated Cities and Counties' with the provincial assembly in February. Through this, the institutional foundation was laid to maintain the appropriation budget ratio between cities and counties for 12 years and expand the budget for education, welfare, and agriculture.

 

In addition, the provincial governor will operate a win-win development implementation inspection committee directly under the governor to regularly check the budget preparation and project execution, and to increase the sense of experience of residents on site.

 

Before the press conference, Governor Kim Kwan-young completed his transfer registration to Wanju-gun. This action symbolically demonstrates his commitment to fostering direct communication with residents. Governor Kim stated, "As a resident of Wanju-gun, I will uphold the promises made by the people of Wanju-gun," and emphasized, "I will practice the values of co-prosperity and integration at the forefront of administration."

 

Meanwhile, discussions on the merger of Wanju and Jeonju began with the signatures of 6,152 people of Wanju-gun in June 2024. The merger proposal was submitted via Wanju-gun and Jeonbuk State to the Local Autonomy Era Committee, and official procedures are currently underway under the Special Act on Decentralization of Local Autonomy and Regional Balanced Development. At present, the Local Autonomy Era Committee has acknowledged the feasibility of the merger, with only recommendations from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and other procedures such as a local referendum remaining pending.