South Korea approves Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, advances local election reforms
The National Assembly approved a special bill to establish the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, a joint metropolitan governance concept covering Jeollanam-do and the city of Gwangju. The measure was pushed through under the leadership of the ruling party.
On the 16th, the Social Administrative Reform Committee, housed under the Prime Minister’s Office, proposed that in regions pursuing administrative integration, local election reforms should be introduced first. The plan calls for 3- to 5-member constituencies for both foundational and metropolitan councils, as part of a broader strategy to reform local electoral rules.
The committee said that as an integrated metropolitan administration would likely concentrate more authority in the hands of the local executive, the metropolitan council must secure representative legitimacy and meaningful checks on power. It urged prioritizing reforms such as 3–5 member districts and expanded proportional representation, alongside other changes to local elections.
Among the five reform measures the committee identified are: legalizing 3–5 member constituencies for both foundational and metropolitan councils; expanding proportional representation to 30%; introducing a runoff system for metropolitan mayors; strengthening transparency in party nominations; and enforcing population-deviation standards with an automatic district adjustment mechanism.
A committee official stressed that political-structural reform is essential if administrative integration is to spur regional development and local autonomy, noting that major electoral changes are a minimal safeguard to ensure the integrated city council reflects public opinion rather than merely serving as a channel for the city’s head.
In the National Assembly, a bill to adopt a major electoral district system for the integrated regional councils has been introduced jointly by lawmakers Im Mi-ae, Jung Choon-saeng, and Jung Hye-kyung. The proposal would align the integrated city’s constituencies with the present national parliamentary districts and set the number of council members per district at 3 to 5.
The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Law cleared the plenary session on the 1st. Voter turnout is expected in the June local elections for the integrated city's mayor, with the new city officially launching on July 1. Legislation on similar integration efforts for the Chungnam-Daejeon and Daegu-Gyeongbuk regions remains before the National Assembly.
Why this matters to the United States: Korea is testing a larger urban governance model that can influence regional policy, infrastructure investment, and supply chains in a major economic hub. Changes to local election rules and oversight could affect how public funds are allocated, how quickly large-scale projects move, and how Korean cities partner with international firms on technology, energy, and transportation initiatives. For U.S. policymakers and businesses, the outcome may shape risk assessments, regulatory expectations, and opportunities in a rapidly urbanizing sector of the Korean economy.