Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop Declares Re-election Bid "Uninterrupted Development of Gwangju"

- "Complete the Quantitative and Qualitative Transformation to a 'Bigger and Stronger Gwangju Era'"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, officially declared his bid for re-election in the nationwide local elections to be held on June 1.

On the morning of the 29th, Mayor Lee announced his candidacy at the ‘Gwangju Global Motors (GGM) automobile factory,’ a symbol of the Gwangju-type job creation, stating, “Through uninterrupted development of Gwangju, I will complete a ‘bigger and stronger Gwangju’ that no one can match.”

He added, “Innovative leadership and a mayor worthy of the dignity of Uihyang Gwangju, which has led the times, must once again be Lee Yong-seop.”

He evaluated, “The past four years have been solely ‘Gwangju’s time’ as the seventh elected term, during which I devoted myself to developing Gwangju as a job and economic city. Despite the adverse conditions where COVID-19 engulfed everything, our Gwangju created numerous changes and historic achievements together with its citizens.”

He explained representative achievements such as the success of the Gwangju-type job creation, Casper production, preemptive advancement in the artificial intelligence industry, proactive response to the climate crisis, the nation’s first 24-hour one-on-one care service for severely developmentally disabled individuals, and the continuous increase in the number of births only in Gwangju among metropolitan local governments nationwide.

Mayor Lee presented his future vision, saying, “Together with the citizens, I will surpass the ‘just and prosperous Gwangju’ of the seventh elected term to complete a ‘bigger and stronger era of Gwangju’ that no one can follow, becoming a key player in regime change five years from now and preparing for the next 100 years.” He pledged to swiftly promote both quantitative and qualitative transformations.

As a quantitative transformation, he promised to create a super-regional economic zone capable of economic self-sustainability and independence, establishing a region-state centered on Gwangju.

He plans to pursue this mainly in two directions: completing the integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam, and early commencement of the Dalbit high-speed railway to build an east-west super-regional economic zone connecting 18 million people as one.

For qualitative transformation, he aims to complete a ‘Green Smart Fun City’ where citizens are happy, dramatically enhancing urban competitiveness and quality of life.

He plans to lead climate crisis response while creating a safe and comfortable Gwangju for citizens, establishing a cutting-edge city based on artificial intelligence responsible for the next 100 years, and developing a refined and enjoyable themed city. Development projects on the Jeonbang and Ilsin Textile sites and the Eodeungsan tourist complex are also expected to accelerate.

The plan also includes making a new Gwangju Convention Center of international standards a new landmark of Gwangju.

Mayor Lee expressed his determination, saying, “When the bigger and stronger ‘Era of the People’s Country Gwangju’ opens, it will block the black hole of the metropolitan area and open a glocal era centered on Gwangju. Through remarkable achievements in population, companies, jobs, income, export volume, and fiscal independence, Gwangju will create a new model of a ‘nation strong in regions and a balanced Republic of Korea.’”

Emphasizing Gwangju’s historical role, he said, “Although 20 days have passed since the presidential election, the atmosphere in Gwangju remains heavy, with a great sense of loss and emptiness from failing to achieve regime continuation. Even if the whole world is shrouded in darkness, we must create hope and open the future in Gwangju, the ‘People’s Country’ that sees the times clearly and shines light.”

He continued, “The position of Gwangju mayor is not one that can be done well with enthusiasm alone. It requires a servant leader with diverse national government experience and expertise, close networks with the central government, and proven morality, character, and qualities who serves and respects human dignity.”

Mayor Lee is scheduled to officially begin his election campaign with the registration as a preliminary candidate for the local elections on the 31st.

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