The mayor of Daegu, Hong Joon-pyo, announced on Tuesday that the plan to merge Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province has failed. He expressed doubt about gaining approval from the provincial assembly for the proposed integration of the local governments. The mayor's latest proposal, which aimed to establish unified provincial government offices in Daegu, Andong, and Pohang, faced opposition from members of the North Gyeongsang provincial assembly. They criticized the decision to unify the two without public approval and called for the establishment of such offices only in Daegu and Andong. This announcement comes after an initial proposal for integration in May and an agreement in June between Mayor Hong and North Gyeongsang Province Gov. Lee Cheol-woo to form a unified government by July 2026, pending approval from the city council of Daegu and the provincial assembly. However, it seems that the latest attempt to integrate the two local governments has faced significant challenges and opposition from the provincial assembly.