Administrative Areas of Zhenia

The Greater Eastern Union of Zhenia is formally divided into four different levels of administration, which are separated by varying degrees of administrative power - provincial (provinces and metropolitan municipalities), prefectural (independent city or prefecture), municipal (municipality, county or district) and township. While there are indeed multiple administrative divisions that are roughly equivalents in their degrees of administrative power, they are generally referred to as the closest and most common administrative subdivision of its equivalent.

The current hierarchy of administrative areas in the nation mostly follows the form generally maintained since the Shindan dynasty, although revisions in the actual structure of administrative power has shifted closer to a federalized one as opposed to a unitary one. Despite some exceptions, borders of most administrative areas have generally followed the traditionally-drawn, geographical and/or cultural borders dating back to the later stages of the Shindan dynasty and eventually the Empire of Zhenia. Generally, province-level administrative areas are deemed the most important, as many view their identities directly tied to the provinces they are from.

Administrative Levels

Regional Level

Main article: Regional Classification of Zhenia

Although not officially used by the Government of Zhenia since 1961, the Regions were and still are at least statistically considered the highest level of administrative division in the nation. Consisting of multiple province-level administrative subdivisions, they have been classified primarily in accordance to geography and cultural similarities. While a nominal governmental structure existed for each of the regions until 1961, it has become more of a theoretical organization lacking a governing structure under the reforms of the Third Republic.

Today, however, such regions exist as statistical, administrative and social benchmarks used for reference within the government and among citizens. As of now, there are five of such regions statistically accepted by the Federal Census Bureau in the nation - the Danguk Peninsula region (often alternately referred to as Eastern Zhenia), Northern Zhenia, Western Zhenia, Central Zhenia and Southern Zhenia.

Province-Level Areas

Daedo

Jinhae

Changan

Shinhang

Bakhan

Ariul

Chungmu

Anam

Namhae

Gyeongcheon

Gyeongjeong

Haedong SAR

Donghae South

Haegeum

Donghae North

Pyeongan

Bukhae

Uilim

Karavankon

Macheon

Yonggang

Bukhwa

Namhwa

Imhae

Balhae

Cheonghae

Taehwa

Changbaek

Donggwang

Seogwang

Shingang

Heuksu

Jinwon

Hanju

Administrative Area Capital Population (2020) Administrative Area Capital Population (2020) Administrative Area Capital Population (2020) Daedo Daedo 21,617,281 Donghae South Cheongnam 12,839,719 Balhae Suripo 52,615,892 Jinhae Jinhae 15,164,561 Haegeum Shinju 19,477,384 Cheonghae Deungju 32,035,218 Changan Changan 11,961,532 Donghae North Sanggyeong 16,994,827 Taehwa Anpyeong 31,136,871 Shinhang Shinhang 8,798,749 Pyeongan Pyeongyang 22,525,728 Changbaek Yeongwon 12,581,698 Bakhan Bakhan 7,888,719 Bukhae Bukju 13,981,277 Donggwang Geonju 30,327,815 Ariul Ariul 6,492,912 Uilim Jingwan 5,621,742 Seogwang Jungsan 28,327,908 Chungmu Arisu 42,588,238 Karavankon Tenshir 9,363,287 Shingang Seokmun 7,192,188 Anam Jeonju 10,981,877 Macheon Shinleung 3,788,237 Heuksu Jangsan 7,272,482 Namhae Shinjin 13,898,147 Yonggang Seogyeong 31,667,165 Jinwon Jinju 3,040,890 Gyeongcheon Cheonsan 12,348,764 Bukhwa Hanam 29,501,613 Hanju Galma 3,138,822 Gyeongjung Geumcheon 11,223,893 Namhwa Junggyeong 30,327,741 Haedong SAR Dongdo 3,310,831 Imhae Namgyeong 28,888,681

In practice, province-level areas are the highest level of administrative divisions directly acknowledged by the Government of the Greater Eastern Union. Although varying in their political treatment and autonomy, province-level areas are to exert high levels of autonomy in areas excluding foreign affairs and the military, both of which fall under the domain of the federal government; however, they are allowed to constitute their own assembly of elected representatives and form their own executive branch to handle the day-to-day administration of said area. All province-level areas are represented by both assemblymen of the Sangseowon and representatives of the Federal Assembly; five Sangseowon assemblymen represent each province-level area, while the number of Federal Assembly representatives vary by population. As of January 2020, there are 34 of such province-level areas - one Special City, five Metropolitan Municipalities, 27 Provinces and one Special Administrative Region.

Provinces

Provinces (Zhenian: 주/州) are often regarded as the highest level and most common province-level administrative subdivision in the nation. Enjoying autonomy apart from foreign and military affairs, provinces are allowed to form provincial governments and elect their own representatives to the Provincial Assembly (Zhenian: 주의회/州議會). Each provincial government is headed by the Provincial Governor (Zhenian: 주지사/州知事), which can serve up to three terms each lasting for four years. Legislation from the Provincial Assembly, however, must yield to Federal legislation if both cover the same area but with different perspectives, unless such Federal legislation is not enforced; the Provincial Assembly, however, can challenge the Federal legislation via the Federal Judiciary or the Constitutional Court. As of January 2020, there are 27 of such provinces in Zhenia, from Chungmu to Gangwon province.

Special Cities and Metropolitan Municipalities

Special Cities (Zhenian: 특별시/特別市) are similar to Metropolitan Municipalities (Zhenian: 광역시/廣域市), in that they are granted more administrative autonomy than prefectures and that their delegated affairs are overseen directly by the federal government; however, while the delegated affairs of metropolitan municipalities are overseen by the respective ministers of each ministry in the federal government, the delegated affairs of special cities are overseen by the Premier. In drafting their own legislation and setting policies, both special cities and metropolitan municipalities are allowed to form their own elected assembly, while their respective executive branches are headed by the Special City Administrator (Zhenian: 특별판윤/特別判尹) and Metropolitan Administrator (Zhenian: 광역부윤/廣域府尹) respectively. Both the Special City Administrator and his/her deputy are allowed to partake in the federal government's cabinet meetings, the Special City Administrator is regarded equal to the ministers of the federal government's respective ministries; his deputy and the Metropolitan Administrator, on the other hand, are regarded equal to deputy ministers.

As of 2020, there is one Special City - Daedo, the nation's capital city - and five Metropolitan Municipalities: Jinhae, Changan, Shinhang, Bakhan and Ariul. While Daedo was immediately designated as a Special City in 1868 by Emperor Seongjo due to its importance as the empire's capital, Metropolitan Municipalities were systematically established to both disperse the functions of the capital city and to expand the reach of the central government beyond the Danguk Peninsula. Jinhae, Changan, Bakhan and Ariul were initially designated as Metropolitan Municipalities in 1871 due to them being the largest cities in each of their respective regions; Shinhang was elevated into a Metropolitan Municipality in 1909 amid the ever-growing importance of Central Zhenia.

While there have been movements to designate more cities into Metropolitan Municipalities, it has so far been the federal government's policy to designate no more new metropolitan municipalities. In principle, a city can be designated a metropolitan municipality if the population of the city - comprised of residents spending more than 8 months of the year in the city - is over 6,000,000, and fulfills a number of criteria including the degree of fiscal self-reliance, area, geographical circumstances and its influence to the remainder of the region. Once such requirements are fulfilled, the federal government is allowed to assess the city's status and the feasibility of elevation upon request of the city's municipal or prefectural government, which is followed by a city-wide referendum on the issue: a city can be designated a Metropolitan Municipality if over two-thirds of the referendum results support the city's elevation.

Special Administrative Regions

Special Administrative Regions (Zhenian: 특별행정구/特別行政區, commonly SAR) have initially been designated as autonomous zones with higher levels of administrative autonomy with province-level subdivisions. While foreign policy and national defense rest at the hands of the federal government, Special Administrative Regions enjoy higher autonomy in drafting legislation and administering said area, while they are also exempt from most federal income taxation and can designate their own official languages alongside Zhenian; such benefits of autonomy come at the expense of less federal support in infrastructure projects among other areas. Special Administrative Regions can be designated if 1) an ethnic minority in a certain region constitutes over 66% of the population; and 2) there are at least 2,500,000 permanent residents of said ethnicity spending more than 8 months of the year in the region, although other criteria, including fiscal self-reliance and area, are assessed as well. If any of such criteria are not fulfilled, its status of Special Administrative Region can be challenged through a SAR-wide referendum.

Upon the creation of Special Administrative Regions, three were initially designated as Special Administrative Regions - Shingang, Karavankon and Haedong. Shingang and Karavankon, however, were elevated into provinces in 1931 and 1956 respectively, leaving Haedong as the only Special Administrative Region still existent in Zhenia. In 2018, a referendum in the Haedong Special Administrative Region has concluded that its stance as a SAR would be terminated, signifying Haedong's elevation into a province; as of January 2020, the proposal is under evaluation by the Sangseowon.