The ruling People Power Party expressed concerns on September 8 about the ongoing neglect of Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do in major national projects and budget allocations, highlighting the issue known as 'TK Passing.' They urged the government for equitable distribution of budgets and policies.
The party held a budget policy meeting with lawmakers from Gyeongsangbuk-do at the National Assembly to discuss these issues. Representative Kim Hyung-dong stated, "We have frequently discussed the problems of 'TK exclusion' and 'TK Passing' in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do. The government has shown a passive attitude regarding recent issues, including the exclusion of Gyeongbuk National University, the relocation of public institutions, and the allocation of social overhead capital (SOC)."
He emphasized, "We are not asking for more than other regions; we are asking for fairness." This reflects dissatisfaction with the ongoing neglect of the Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do region in the government's major national projects. On September 1, the government selected Pusan National University, Chonnam National University, and Chungnam National University for its first concentrated support under the '10 Seoul National Universities' initiative, while Gyeongbuk National University was excluded. In response, Gyeongsangbuk-do Governor Lee Cheol-woo criticized, "We are suffering from 'TK Passing' in various recent matters."
Concerns were also raised regarding the government's Future Response Fund. Governor Lee stated, "Most are opposed to the Future Response Fund, except for one location," and requested active engagement from the National Assembly.
The issue of administrative integration between Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do was also highlighted as a key agenda for the upcoming regular National Assembly session. The governor remarked, "The new airport issue will take a long time if we rely solely on the existing 'donation and return' method," and requested that the government invest directly or support the passage of related legislation proposed by Representative Park Hyung-soo.
In this context, Representative Park introduced a partial amendment to the special law for the construction of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport in July. The amendment aims to strengthen the mandatory provisions regarding national support for the construction of the new airport.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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