Democratic Party Preliminary Candidate Debate for Goheung County Governor Held

Song Youngjong Preliminary Candidate, Will Provide 300,000 Won Monthly to Youth to Revitalize Local Economy and Small Businesses.
Jang Sesun Preliminary Candidate, Will Connect Railway Between Beolgyo and Goheung and Develop Nokdong Port as a Logistics

[Goheung=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] The TV debate for the Democratic Party's Goheung County Governor preliminary primary candidates was broadcast live on the 6th at Yeosu MBC.

This is the Democratic Party's primary process to select a challenger against the independent incumbent County Governor Song Gwi-geun, with a public opinion poll scheduled around the 25th to narrow down the preliminary candidates to 2-3 people.

The five preliminary candidates running in the Democratic Party primary are Song Young-jong, former Suncheon Deputy Mayor; Jang Se-seon, former Chairman of Goheung County Council; Kim Hak-young, former Chief of Goheung Police Station; Gong Young-min, former Director of Jeju Development Institute; and Park Jin-kwon, former Jeonnam Provincial Assembly member.

Preliminary candidate Park Jin-kwon said, “I have lived in Goheung for a long time with my parents and young children, but I cannot accept the reality that Goheung is on the verge of extinction,” adding, “I have no face to see my beloved children.”

As a pledge, he said, “I will raise income and expand education and welfare systems to create an environment where residents who left Goheung can return, aiming to create an era of 70,000 population.”

Candidate Park said, “Although I am young, I have lived the longest time in Goheung and have the most time ahead to live here. I am the only person who can listen to and feel Goheung’s pains the most, be a son to parents, and be a comfortable county governor to seniors and juniors alike. Please support Park Jin-kwon.”

He continued, “Politics should be done by someone warm-hearted, not just smart,” and urged, “Since I have lived a short life, I have no enemies or allies. Please support a fresh self and create a united Goheung.”

Preliminary candidate Gong Young-min introduced himself, saying, “I worked at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance for 23 years and served as Economic Director, Planning and Management Director, and Director of Jeju Development Institute in Jeju, which has conditions similar to Goheung,” adding, “I greatly contributed to Jeju’s development today. As a Ministry of Strategy and Finance alumnus, I have the ability to secure government budgets.”

Candidate Gong said that leveraging his experience at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and Jeju’s development, he has spent the past seven years visiting 515 villages in 16 towns and townships, observing and listening to the voices of residents to develop his hometown Goheung.

He added, “The media reports that Goheung will disappear in 30 years have hurt the pride of residents,” and said, “If I become county governor, I will not be a governor of a disappearing Goheung but one who sets a vision for a population of over 100,000 in 10 years and lays the foundation for it.”

As a pledge, he promised to brand Goheung’s clean agricultural, livestock, and fishery products, foster them as a 6th industrial convergence, focus on tourism industry selection and concentration, build infrastructure to create workplaces, give hope to residents, and make Goheung a place where young people who left for cities return, asking for support.

Preliminary candidate Kim Hak-young said, “I ranked first nationwide in the Level 7 National Civil Service Exam. While working at the Ministry of Finance, I was able to review many documents personally approved by the president,” adding, “I passed the administrative exam at a late age and gained administrative experience at Jeonnam Provincial Office, the National Assembly Secretariat, and the Blue House.”

He continued that during his tenure as police chief, he developed many competencies required of a commander and conveyed the difficulties residents expressed when he moved to Goheung 14 years ago.

“Tongyeong oysters are large and exported, but Goheung oysters, though tasty, are not exported. The nets only catch jellyfish, which are discarded at sea. The fragrant Goheung yuja (citron) is not as well regarded as yuja from other regions for various reasons. Garlic sent to Seoul was returned due to spots,” he said.

He also said, “In Goheung, it is easy for fertilizer dealers to sell poor-quality fertilizer. People who returned to farming with enthusiasm struggle due to lack of jobs. Various festivals waste county budgets without increasing local income. Although there is a lot of construction equipment in our area, outsiders often come in, making it difficult for locals to find jobs.”

Preliminary candidate Jang Se-seon said he is a local who has lived protecting Goheung all his life, with over 20 years of experience including eight years in county council activities and 12 years as a head of the agricultural cooperative, possessing broad understanding of local issues and know-how suitable for local autonomy.

He added that he has always been with all residents like a neighborhood neighbor, not just showing up during election seasons, and said, “More than 60% of the 60,000 Goheung residents are engaged in agriculture, livestock, and fisheries as their livelihood,” adding, “Goheung is blessed with rich land and sea with natural conditions. I will nurture excellent clean Goheung agricultural and livestock products to lead to real income increases.”

As a pledge, he said, “We cannot pass on the difficult reality of Goheung, which has suffered from poor accessibility to large cities, to future generations,” and asked for support to bring a railway network connecting Beolgyo to Nokdong Port and to develop Nokdong Port as a logistics hub to create a growing Goheung.

Preliminary candidate Song Young-jong said, “Goheung’s population has halved over the past 25 years and is designated as a population extinction risk area,” adding, “If we do not invest in low birth rates and the younger generation now, Goheung has no future.”

As a pledge, he said, “The county will support necessary costs from childbirth to childcare and education. Young people in their 20s and 30s will receive 300,000 won monthly in local currency, and various youth jobs will be created,” emphasizing, “Shouldn’t we invest this much to prevent the extinction theory and revive the local economy and small business owners?”

He continued, “We will build one comprehensive welfare town in each town and township center, equipped with a comprehensive system for health care, nursing, exercise, and lifelong education to establish permanent measures for the elderly,” and said, “We will fully implement a 100-won bus fare system allowing anyone to travel anywhere in the county for 100 won to improve residents’ transportation welfare.”

Candidate Song appealed for support, saying, “I will expand Goheung’s economic and tourism territory. As a tourism investment expert who worked as Director of Investment Policy and Director of Tourism, Culture, and Sports at Jeonnam Province, Song Young-jong will become a businessman who brings money to Goheung.”

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