Suwon·Hwaseong·Osan Integration Promotion Committee Lodges Protest with Administrative Reform Committee

Some 30 members of the Suwon·Hwaseong·Osan Integration Promotion Committee visited the Local Administrative System Reform Promotion Committee on the 15th to protest the exclusion of the three Suwon-area cities from merger recommendations.

The promotion committee departed from Suwon City Hall in the morning and made a protest visit to the reform committee's office located in Chungmuro, Jung-gu, Seoul, delivering a statement regarding the rejection of the merger decision and demanding active clarification from the reform committee, including disclosure of opinion poll results.

They stated, "We have been confident that the integration of the three cities is the best choice for the region's future development and have promoted integration through a residents' vote, but the reform committee excluded the Suwon area from merger recommendations based on unreliable opinion polls," and said, "We cannot contain our grievances and anger."

They continued, "We are aware that prior to the reform committee's decision, Hwaseong City systematically mobilized its civil servants and heads of administrative divisions to foster distorted public opinion, and particularly in March, invited civil servants from the reform committee and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety for boat entertainment," demanding clarification from the Hwaseong City Mayor and the reform committee.

They also stated, "We do not understand why the government and the reform committee are specifically hindering the integration of the Suwon area," while emphasizing, "The integration promotion committee will continue to push for the integration of the three cities and will struggle to the end against forces opposing the merger."

The promotion committee further demanded, "The reform committee must transparently disclose everything regarding the three cities' opinion polls—the process and procedures, survey targets and the number of respondents by region, analysis methods, and survey results."

They also urged the mayors of the three cities to "promptly complete the joint research project on integration agreed upon in February and publicly disclose the results through forums and briefing sessions so that citizens can choose for themselves whether to pursue integration," keeping their promise.