The whole country is buzzing with the ‘mega city’ issue. It started with the integration of Kimpo City into Seoul, but now the scope of integration has expanded to include neighboring cities such as Hanam, Gwangmyeong, and Guri, and the voices calling for the creation of mega cities are growing in various regions across the country.
Just two weeks ago, on the 30th of last month, the ruling party, the People Power Party, first hinted at the possibility of pushing for the integration of Kimpo City into Seoul, and now it seems to have become a central topic in the future of politics. Finally, on the 16th, a special law on changing the jurisdictional area between Gyeonggi Province and Seoul Special City to integrate Kimpo City into Seoul by 2025 was proposed. On the same day, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon, and Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok also had a private three-way meeting. However, it was reported that this meeting only confirmed the differences in the positions of the three local government leaders.
The term ‘mega city’ refers to a super-sized city with a population of over 10 million. As urban population concentration intensifies worldwide, new mega cities are emerging all over the world. Currently, there are 38 mega cities, and it is predicted that this number will double by 2050. Countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and France are also pursuing mega-region strategies beyond mega cities, which involve connecting cities with a population of over 10 million through shared social infrastructure such as transportation and logistics, as well as close economic and industrial linkages. Examples include Manchester City Region in the UK, Greater Paris in France, Stuttgart Metropolitan Union in Germany, and Kansai Metropolitan Union in Japan.
In Korea, it should be deeply discussed, but it is not easy to understand whether the proposed mega city plan is really for the benefit of the people. The timing is peculiar. The sudden emergence of this issue without any prior discussions or public opinion gathering has led to criticism that it is a ‘random act’ or a ‘political show’ aimed at the general elections in April next year. Some also point out that the Seoul integration plan for Kimpo City is a strategic move to address the ‘capital region crisis’ that has spread due to the defeat of the Gangseo District Office Chief in the Seoul by-election. It is evaluated as a strategy to stimulate transportation benefits and desires for rising real estate prices.
In the real estate market, whether it is in Seoul or not has a significant impact on housing prices. Even in the case of the Wiryeseong New Town, which spans Songpa and Seongnam, there is a significant price difference between Songpa and Seongnam. Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min also recently acknowledged at a seminar that the integration of Kimpo into Seoul would “increase property value.” If the government and the ruling party were trying to create an issue, they have succeeded to some extent. However, there is also a prediction that it will sparkle as an issue and then disappear. Mega cities have been a staple menu that many politicians have brought up during election seasons. Even President Yoon Seok-yeol, during his candidacy, promised the Saemangeum Mega City and the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Global Mega City, but now we don’t hear words like ‘discarded’ or ‘failed.’
The people are not fools. The public also knows that this proposed mega city plan is not a well-prepared policy, but rather a populist move. Various public opinion surveys have already shown that more than half of the respondents view this mega city policy as a populist move aimed at the general elections.
Jo Kang-wook, Director of Construction Real Estate, jomarok@asiae.co.kr
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