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| ▲ Rep. Yun Jae-ok (C), floor leader of the ruling People Power Party, speaks at a party meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on Oct. 31, 2023. (Yonhap) |
PPP-Gimpo
Ruling party pushing to incorporate Gimpo, other adjacent cities into Seoul
By Kang Jae-eun
SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- The ruling People Power Party (PPP) is pushing to redraw the map to incorporate Gimpo and other small cities adjacent to Seoul into the sprawling capital, a move seen as aimed at boosting the party's chances in next year's general elections.
Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, the PPP leader, made it official for the party to push for the incorporation during a visit to Gimpo on Monday. And on Tuesday, the party's floor leader, Rep. Yun Jae-ok, said the party is considering enacting a special law on the issue.
"After an internal review, we've concluded that it is desirable to incorporate Gimpo into Seoul," Kim told reporters Monday, adding that the move would be beneficial to the development of Gimpo and northwestern parts of Seoul.
With a population of 420,000, Gimpo is currently part of Gyeonggi Province surrounding Seoul.
Talk of Gimpo's incorporation into Seoul came as the Gyeonggi provincial government seeks to divide the province into North Gyeonggi and South Gyeonggi provinces. The Gimpo city government says it wants to be part of Seoul, rather than being part of either of the Gyeonggi provinces.
The PPP said it will seek the incorporation of other adjacent cities if residents agree to it.
The party's decision to embrace Gimpo's demand and push for the incorporation was widely seen as an election card designed to woo voters in Gimpo and other adjacent cities in next year's parliamentary elections.
Many hurdles lie ahead before the envisioned incorporation is realized.
The proposal should first be approved in a vote of residents before the National Assembly enacts a special law to the effect.
Opposition support is key to the process.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) has said the plan is "completely out of the blue," criticizing the PPP for trying to shore voters' support before next year's general elections.
The PPP has refuted such accusations, saying the party is only fulfilling its duties to respond to various demands from local residents, just as any other party, including the DP.
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