Ruling Party Opposes Government Review of Merging Four Port Authorities

As the government reviews a proposal to merge the four port authorities of Busan, Incheon, Ulsan, and Yeosu-Gwangyang into one, the People Power Party strongly protested on the 10th, calling it a "historic regression that will self-destruct maritime logistics competitiveness." Lawmakers from Busan, Incheon, and Ulsan belonging to the People Power Party held a press conference at the National Assembly that day to argue for the injustice of the four port authority merger plan.

They emphasized that each port operates independently based on decades of accumulated expertise and contributes to the national economy.

The lawmakers criticized the forced integration as a supra-legal concept that violates the law, despite the current Port Authority Act stipulating separate legal entities for each port to ensure autonomy, and pointed out that the foundation of successful operations should not be dismantled.