The Changwon City Council has passed a bill to merge the city with Masan and Jinhae, in South Gyeongsang Province.

The council passed the bill by 15 votes to four in a Friday plenary session. Both the Masan and Jinhae city councils have already passed the bill.

The merger of the three cities will create the largest local autonomous government in the nation with a population of over one million, subject to various benefits from the central government.

However, local groups strongly protested against the merger and called for a local referendum.