President Lee Jae Myung proposed integrating the administrative jurisdictions of Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province in a comment during a luncheon meeting with ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers from the two regions on Thursday, calling the move a potential breakthrough in addressing excessive concentration in the Seoul metropolitan area. According to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, President Lee emphasized that the population's overconcentration in the capital region is one of the nation’s most pressing challenges, describing a potential administrative merger between Daejeon and South Chungcheong Province as a necessary step toward solving the issue. “The president suggested that integration between Daejeon and the Chungcheong region could help pave the way for easing overcrowding while advancing balanced regional growth,” Kang said. Kang said the president also called for an open and forward-looking approach to resolving issues such as the location and naming of administrative institutions, envisioning the integrated region as a central hub for Korea’