Lee proposes expanding Chungcheong to include Chungbuk, forming a unified economic zone
President Lee Jae-myung spoke at a town hall in Cheongju OsCo on March 13, urging a broader approach to regional governance in Korea. He proposed expanding the existing Daejeon-Chungnam framework to include Chungbuk, forming a single large Chungcheong economic and administrative zone to strengthen regional competitiveness.
Lee argued that borders are increasingly porous in global competition and that urban areas are the main battleground. “Competition has become city-centered,” he said, and to widen regional competitiveness, metropolitan-scale integration is an era trend. He suggested moving beyond current regional structures to a five-pole system that consolidates the region’s development strategy.
He noted that the Chungcheong area is currently divided among Daejeon, Sejong, Chungnam and Chungbuk, and asked residents to consider whether Chungbuk should remain on its own path or be integrated with the other provinces to form a larger economic corridor under a unified administration.
Regarding the stalled push to merge Daejeon and Chungnam, the president said momentum existed when the idea was first raised, but it has stalled. He hinted that opposition from local leaders aligned with the opposition camp and from provincial legislatures has hindered progress, describing the situation as a sudden halt in momentum.
Despite the setback, Lee argued that regional integration is inevitable and urged people to think seriously about how Chungbuk can best position itself for future generations to compete in a global economy. He asked what path would be most advantageous for the region in the long run.
Lee also injected a personal note, describing himself as “Chungbuk’s son-in-law” because his wife, Kim Hye-kyung, hails from Sancheok-myeon in Chungju. He said locals greeted him warmly during a recent visit, and he pledged to listen to regional concerns and seek cooperation, while acknowledging a tendency to “bend inward” but promising to hear people out.
For U.S. readers, the episode highlights a broader question facing Korea: how far to pursue cross-provincial consolidation to unlock larger markets, attract investment, and streamline infrastructure and supply chains. A bigger, integrated Chungcheong region could influence manufacturing, technology development, and regional planning in a key ally and trading partner, with potential knock-on effects for American companies and supply chains tied to Korea’s economy. The outcome will depend on political momentum at the local level and the ability to build broad stakeholder support for large-scale regional reform.