Naju Mayor Kang In-gyu's Final Push to Urge Enactment of the KEPCO University Act

[Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yuk-bong] Kang In-kyu, mayor of Naju, Jeollanam-do, has launched a final all-out effort to enact the special law for Korea Energy Engineering University (hereinafter KEPCO University), which will be a turning point for the normal opening of KEPCO University in March next year.

According to the city on the 16th, Mayor Kang urged the ruling and opposition parties to make a magnanimous decision so that the KEPCO University Act can pass in this month's extraordinary session of the National Assembly through a visit to the subcommittee on bills of the National Assembly Industry, Trade, Energy, Small and Medium Venture Business Committee, where the KEPCO University Act is being reviewed, and a one-person picket protest in front of the National Assembly.

On the day of the visit to the National Assembly, Lee Kwang-seok, vice chairman of the Naju City Council, Park So-jun, chairman of the Steering Committee, Lee Sang-man, chairman of the Economic and Industrial Committee, and Assemblyman Kim Cheol-min joined Mayor Kang to strengthen the call for the enactment of the special law.

Mayor Kang has been conducting all-around legislative support activities, explaining the necessity of establishing KEPCO University, a national energy industry development national agenda, and the urgency of enacting the special law to members of the Industry Committee regardless of party affiliation.

Earlier in January, following meetings with Lee Hak-young, chairman of the Industry Committee, Song Gap-seok, secretary, and Assemblyman Shin Jeong-hoon (all from the Democratic Party of Korea), he individually visited the offices of Assemblymen Lee Cheol-gyu and Yoon Young-seok of the People Power Party to actively request cooperation for the enactment of the special law beyond party interests.

In the same month, he also met with Kim Hyung-dong, a People Power Party assemblyman from the Honam region Naju constituency, to request interest and support from opposition party lawmakers.

The city council and civic groups have also been raising their voices daily to provide support for the enactment of the law.

Last month, the Naju City Council (Chairman Kim Young-deok) issued a ‘Statement Urging the Enactment of the Special Law,’ followed by the KEPCO University Establishment Pan-Naju Citizens Committee (co-chairmen Jeong Chan-yong and Lee Geon-cheol) issuing a resolution.

The Naju Citizens Communication Committee (Chairman Chae Seong-gun) recently held a relay one-person protest in front of the National Assembly and is striving to build national consensus on the establishment of KEPCO University through sending promotional text messages to alumni associations.

Mayor Kang In-kyu said, “With the announcement of the domestic university early admission guidelines scheduled for May 3, the special law must be passed in this month’s extraordinary session of the National Assembly to recruit new students for KEPCO University and ensure its normal opening in March next year,” adding, “We must enable 430,000 prospective university students nationwide to realize their hopes as scientists leading the national energy industry.”

Meanwhile, the KEPCO University Special Act, which was jointly proposed by Shin Jeong-hoon, Democratic Party of Korea assemblyman for Naju-Hwasun, in October last year, contains 31 articles for the normal opening of Korea Energy Engineering University, including the purpose of university establishment, corporation and organizational structure, financial support, and academic management.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.