Ruling party proposes talks with PPP on Daejeon-South Chungcheong merger

▲ Jung Chung-rae (R), leader of the ruling Democratic Party, speaks during a meeting of its Supreme Council at the National Assembly in Seoul on Feb. 23, 2026. (Yonhap)

ruling party-regional merger

Ruling party proposes talks with PPP on Daejeon-South Chungcheong merger

SEOUL, Feb. 23 (Yonhap) -- The leader of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) proposed holding talks with his main opposition People Power Party (PPP) counterpart on Monday to discuss a merger between the central city of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province ahead of the local elections.

In December last year, President Lee Jae Myung suggested the merger, saying it could help open up the way to address the overconcentration in the Seoul metropolitan area and promote balanced regional development.

"I suggest an official meeting between the leaders of the two parties to make substantive progress on the administrative integration," DP leader Jung Chung-rae said during a meeting of the party's supreme council.

Earlier this month, the DP unilaterally passed a special bill to create an integrated administrative region during a parliamentary public administration and security committee meeting.

The National Assembly is set to vote on the merger at a plenary session later this month, in a move that could reshape the upcoming local elections in June.

Jung stressed the importance of bipartisan agreement to pass the special act, calling it a "critical task" in designing the country's future governance structure.

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