Lee Jun-seok, Representative, "The wrong candidate was elected, causing long-term instability and a vacuum in provincial administration"

People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok is holding a meeting with Gyeongnam journalists on the 3rd at the Gyeongnam Provincial Council main conference room. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] On the 3rd, Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, visited Gyeongnam Province and said, "As the party holding the majority of seats in the region, we feel a sense of responsibility and will present a vision for regional development that is more advanced than the current government's direction."

On this day, Leader Lee examined the current issues of the Gyeongnam provincial government, which has a vacancy due to the detention of former Governor Kim Kyung-soo, and held a meeting with local media.

The meeting was attended by Leader Lee as well as People Power Party Gyeongnam Provincial Party members Lee Dal-gon (Changwon Jinhae District), Choi Hyung-doo (Changwon Masanhappo District), and Kang Ki-yoon (Changwon Seongsan District).

Leader Lee explained the People Power Party's vision for local decentralization, stating, "Decentralization centered on relocating public institutions has only achieved half of the success," and added, "We will analyze specialized projects with comparative advantages in each region and find ways to relocate appropriate institutions and companies to create synergy."

Regarding the Southeast Mega City, he said, "I agree with the direction of the mega city, but since it is centered on Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (Bu-Ul-Gyeong), regions like western Gyeongnam are relatively neglected," and added, "Also, sufficient measures are needed for foreseeable issues such as population hollowing in the metropolitan area."

As a solution for the western Gyeongnam region, he stated, "The Southern Inland High-Speed Railway is key, but we need to consider whether the currently discussed single-track route is the best option," and argued, "We should analyze whether there is a more advanced plan than the current route and reflect it in the presidential election pledges."

Regarding the Gadeokdo New Airport, he said, "Such large-scale SOC projects should not be judged solely based on cost," and added, "Currently, the site is being considered with one runway, but if expanded to two or more runways in the future, a careful decision is necessary."

On the recent neglect of the region in attracting the Lee Kun-hee Art Museum and K-Bio Hub, he said, "It may be a result reflecting realistic considerations, but personally, I think it was a regrettable decision," and added, "No matter how realistic the situation is, future decisions need to consider more balanced development."

Finally, regarding whether incumbent lawmakers will participate in next year's Gyeongnam gubernatorial election, he said, "There is no party rule preventing incumbent lawmakers from participating," and added, "If the residents think a candidate is right, they can fully participate, and there is no intention to give advantages or penalties just because they are incumbents."

He added, "Since a wrong candidate was elected in the last election, causing long-term instability and vacancies in the provincial government, I believe residents will consider the candidate's morality and the feasibility of their pledges more carefully," and said, "If more definite local decentralization and financial support are provided than now, a greater sense of responsibility corresponding to that should also be felt."

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