It was in 1993 that Korea adopted a full local autonomous system, a pivotal development in the nation’s administrative structure. The Local Autonomy Act was then amended in 1994, and the first nationwide local government elections took place in June 1995. I still remember the excitement and the sense of unfamiliarity surrounding those elections at that time.

In 2026, the local government system is undergoing its most significant change in 33 years. The wind has shifted: for a long time, the trend was fragmentation — favoring smaller units with diffused authority — but today’s trend is quite the opposite: consolidation through mergers.

So, all of a sudden, a merger drive is underway, with three plans in particular emerging: Daejeon-Chungnam Province, Daegu-North Gyeongsan Province, and Gwangju-South Jeolla Province. Among the three, the Gwangju-South Jeolla Province “merger locomotive” has already departed; special legislation was passed by the National Assembly on March 19, with the inauguration of a new mega-local government combining the two entities scheduled for July 1. Special bills for the other two plans are still pending in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly; they could move forward at any time once pending issues among interest groups are resolved. To my mind, sooner or later, at least these three regions may see the emergence of large-scale municipalities, perhaps one day rivaling Seoul Metropolitan City.

As a matter of fact, local governments, both large and small, have all been struggling with dwindling populations and meager financial bases. Though geographically distinct, the three merger plans are cut from the same cloth — each driven by population contraction and budgetary constraints. These regions badly need new momentum to turn the tables and galvanize development.

The central government in Seoul agrees; it views the merger drive as an opportunity to upgrade local autonomy and achieve more balanced national growth. Consequently, the central government has pledged a significant carrot; in the case of the Gwangju-South Jeolla Province combined entity, the government will provide 20 trillion won ($13.6 billion) over four years to support the merger plan. By existing standards, it is an enormous financial package, and it is no wonder — and frankly, no surprise to me — other regions are striving to get on board.

With local elections coming up soon — on June 3 — the merger debate will gain further traction once new local governments are formed.

Mayors and governors in major local governments have long been influential figures in Korean politics, so these mergers may have significant political repercussions for better or worse. Political ripples aside, I believe the mergers will at least have a noteworthy positive effect: increased resources and higher efficiency. Currently, all local governments, both major and minor, are self-sustaining, meaning they have to maintain separate offices and officials to cover the full spectrum of administration. This often leads to competition or uncoordinated policies among different local governments. Hopefully, mergers will address these issues through pooling and streamlining.

In my view, this positive impact will also likely extend to the "global" dimension of local government affairs, going beyond balanced regional development.

First, let’s consider the new drive’s impact on international exchange and cooperation programs. Over the past three decades, our local governments have been remarkably active on the international stage; each has established dedicated offices and sections with specialized employees. They have been active in concluding memorandums of understanding with foreign counterparts, hosting international events (remember so many local "expos" of various sorts), accommodating foreign visitors and students, and, most importantly, attracting foreign investors to their cities and towns. Indeed, exchange activities and international programs have been touted as one of the major achievements of sitting mayors and governors. Even the Foreign Ministry dispatches ambassadors-at-large to respective cities and provinces to support their international activities.

With increased budgetary support, enhanced manpower and coordinated policies, merged entities can now pursue more coherent strategies. Consider this: as of now, by my count, approximately 20 officials work in Gwangju’s global cooperation section, while South Jeolla Province staffs around 30 for its own. With these human resources pooled and better deployed, I expect the combined government will have considerably more depth and talent to plan and pursue ambitious international programs.

Second, and more importantly, we must consider the unprecedented economic crisis we are witnessing now. As I see it, the crisis now demands fast decision-making and the mobilization of every national asset available. Local governments can sometimes play an important role in this regard; in particular, they usually have a stronger connection and a more hands-on relationship with foreign investors and companies in their respective regions. So, they can sometimes lend a critical hand to national diplomatic and economic agendas.

If all goes according to plan, the restructuring of the local governments through mergers promises a streamlined organizational structure with deeper expertise across the board. This, in turn, can help ensure greater coordination and cooperation between the central government and local governments, as well as among local governments themselves — certainly a vital development in this time of crisis.

On July 1, Gwangju-Jeonnam Combined Special City will officially launch, and the new merged government will need to hit the ground running from day one. It is my hope that this merger drive becomes not just a new platform for balanced regional development in Korea, but an important turning point for the international exchange activities of local governments and for the mobilization of national strength to meet the challenges ahead.

Lee Jae-min

Lee Jae-min is a professor of law at Seoul National University. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. — Ed.


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