[Interview] Kim Jin-tae, "I Will Restore the Lost 12 Years of Gangwon Province Administration"... A Promised Great Match

"The Governor Must Take Responsibility for the Livelihoods of People with Different Ideologies and Thoughts"
"The Battleground Is Gangneung and Yeongdong Areas... Voting Patterns Reflect Presidential and Party Support"

Jin-tae Kim, People Power Party Candidate for Governor of Gangwon Province [Jin-tae Kim Candidate Election Camp]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Kim Jin-tae, the People Power Party candidate for Gangwon Province governor, who was excluded from the party nomination screening due to controversies over his harsh remarks but revived his candidacy after a hunger strike and is now running for governor, emphasized that "attracting companies that can lead the 4th industrial revolution is key to securing Gangwon Province's future."

Throughout the election period, he has put forward the attraction of Samsung's semiconductor factory in Wonju as his flagship pledge. Given the rationale of balanced regional development, there are ongoing calls for Gangwon Province to make a determined effort to attract companies.

He particularly appealed for support by stating, "The Democratic Party's governor, mayors, county heads, and local council members have taken control of various parts of Gangwon Province," and added, "We must lift regulations and change the Gangwon provincial government, which has been under the Democratic Party for the past 12 years, to revive the stagnant Gangwon economy as soon as possible."

In addition, he has been announcing major pledges one after another to capture the Gangwon electorate, including attracting financial institutions and other public organizations, upgrading the Gangwon Provincial Government's second office building, installing the Osaek cable car, establishing a wildfire prevention headquarters, and increasing veterans' support allowances by 100% with provincial support.

Before the Gangwon residents make their choice, our publication met candidate Kim Jin-tae to hear about his pledges and aspirations. [Editor's note]

- Which pledges will you definitely keep if you become governor?

"Attracting the Bank of Korea headquarters to Chuncheon, Samsung Electronics semiconductor factory to Wonju, and building the Gangwon Provincial Government's second office building in Gangneung. Especially, the pledge to attract Samsung semiconductors was supported by President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol, who promised to include Wonju in the semiconductor cluster during his visit to Gangwon Province. The semiconductor cluster includes various elements, making it easier for Samsung Electronics to come, which was the first step. When the People Power Party's central party held a campaign committee in Wonju, I proposed an additional pledge to establish a semiconductor test bed there. The test bed is a place where core semiconductor materials are inspected. Over 1,000 small and medium enterprises nationwide that supply Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix must undergo inspections to supply parts, but currently, they have to go all the way to Belgium for testing. They asked me to resolve this issue, so I researched it thoroughly."

- What are the problems of the stagnant Gangwon economy and its growth drivers?

"Gangwon Province has everything. The natural environment is good, there are many talented people, and many research institutes, but there are no large companies. Because there are no companies leading the 4th industrial revolution, synergy is not being created. Also, tourism accounts for only 8% of the GRDP (Gross Regional Domestic Product). No matter how well tourism does, people cannot live well. Therefore, I have a vision to attract companies and link tourism to industry."

- How do you analyze the Gangwon public sentiment so far?

"Gangwon Province was a region where candidate Yoon Seok-yeol won by 12.46% in the presidential election. That alone means I can win. It shows that the public opinion for regime change was strong. After that, the People Power Party's party support rating leads the Democratic Party by about 20% across Gangwon Province. The presidential candidate won by 12%, and since then, the gap has widened by another 8%. Local elections are not 100% decided by party support; personality and other factors matter, so I am campaigning with a goal of at least 20%, but it is not easy. There is definitely a strong public opinion that the lost 12 years of provincial government must be changed, so the challenge is how to translate that into votes."

- What is the key battleground in the Gangwon election?

"The Yeongdong region. I represent the Chuncheon area, and candidate Lee Kwang-jae represents the Wonju area. Although there are some differences, the Yeongdong region in Gangneung shows voting patterns proportional to the presidential and party support."

- There are many perennial candidates who run repeatedly in local and general elections

"I do not intend to do that. Five years ago, I competed with candidate Hong Joon-pyo in the presidential primary and came in second in our party's primary, but the Gangwon public sentiment was cold. Even though I came in second, I personally hoped for more support next time, but the local sentiment remained cold. People prefer candidates who genuinely become capable rather than just making noise. So if you run, you must do well. I want to be passionate, fiery, and sometimes make a graceful exit, doing things I haven't done before. Although I am not yet elected, I feel a big difference between being a governor and a member of the National Assembly. This election is for an administrator, so if the administrator talks about political issues, the residents might not like it. That should be done by a member of the National Assembly in the National Assembly. The governor must take responsibility for the livelihoods of people with different ideologies and thoughts, so even if I want to say something, I have to hold back. That is a big difference."

- Korean politics is increasingly experiencing intensified conflicts

"North-South unification must happen. Until then, it will probably be difficult to resolve conflicts. Also, I think we do not have a proper concept of political centrism. From my perspective, in the situation where North and South are divided and confront each other, I believe centrism does not exist. Instead of having a definite ideology and calling it centrism, we should be able to attract non-partisans and those uninterested in politics."

- What is your view on the media?

"Politicians cannot do politics without media cooperation. I sincerely hope the media takes truth as its mission. I hope there will be no cases where the media goes beyond being a judge and becomes a player."

- Any final words to the people of Gangwon Province?

"I am standing here now after a hunger strike, right? That time (when I was cut off) was really tough. The hardest thing was disappointing those who came to hold my hand, but a miracle happened, and I came this far. I always remember the gratitude I felt then and try to be more humble. I want to repay the residents' generous love with the development of Gangwon Province. Kim Jin-tae of conviction, I will walk steadily looking only at the residents."

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