Kim Byung-kwan "No.1 Pledge, Connect SRT to GTX Seongnam Station" [6·1 Local Election Interview]

Emphasizing a Competent Candidate Familiar with the Region
"Ahn, You Didn't Even Understand the Meaning of Your Own Pledge"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] "Although a significant portion of candidate Ahn Cheol-soo's pledges are similar, I am confident that he wrote them without understanding their meaning. The biggest difference between me and candidate Ahn is that I am a candidate who cares deeply about Bundang, to the extent that I carefully considered each pledge together with the residents."

Kim Byung-kwan, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for Seongnam Bundang-gap constituency, said in an interview with Asia Economy on the 25th at the Gyeonggi-do Seongnam City Academy Association, "Candidate Ahn says he will 'study more' when appealing for support in a polite way. But the residents scold him, saying, 'Did you come out without even knowing that?'"

Kim Byung-kwan, Democratic Party of Korea candidate for the by-election in Bundang-gu Gap, Seongnam City. / Seongnam - Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Bundang-gap is considered a conservative-leaning electoral district, but it is also the place that gave Kim his first gold badge in 2016 as a 'native of Seongnam.' Although he narrowly lost by 0.72 percentage points to Kim Eun-hye of the People Power Party in the 21st general election, Kim is determined to reclaim the seat through this by-election. Although polls show a large gap with candidate Ahn, Kim believes that the grassroots sentiment is different.

In particular, he criticized candidate Ahn, who runs as the Bundang candidate and attacks only former Governor Lee Jae-myung every day, saying, "He actually couldn't fight in Gyeyang and is doing politics comfortably in Bundang," calling it "very cowardly."

While emphasizing himself as a 'competent candidate' who is more knowledgeable about local issues than anyone else, the recent internal strife within the Democratic Party has been a regrettable blow. Regarding some candidates' early appearances, he said, "After the presidential defeat, a time for more self-reflection was needed," and bluntly criticized, "Representative Song Young-gil should not have run in this election."

Kim Byung-kwan, Democratic Party of Korea candidate for the by-election in Bundang-gu Gap, Seongnam City. / Seongnam = Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

The following is a Q&A with candidate Kim.

- How are the polls and the actual atmosphere on the ground different?

▲ Although the gap in support rates appears large, the actual feeling is quite different. Residents criticize, saying, 'Isn't he a political migratory bird?' when someone suddenly comes from Sangye-dong to Bundang to do politics. Citizens talk a lot about who truly cares and will work for Bundang and Pangyo. I think polls and grassroots sentiment differ, so the situation can be overturned at any time.

- The Bundang-gap election is described as a 'battle between successful IT entrepreneurs and billionaires with assets over 200 billion won.' Aside from similarities, what differences would you emphasize?

▲ Candidate Ahn is a good person if limited to IT. However, as a Bundang-gap candidate, I think he came out as a stepping stone for the next election rather than out of affection for the region. Former lawmaker Kim Eun-hye also did nothing in Bundang-gap. She doesn't even live in Bundang and only has an address there, which angers residents. Candidate Ahn only talks about the 'Daejang-dong investigation,' so if that's the case, why didn't he run in Gyeyang instead of following behind? It seems he is either afraid of Lee Jae-myung or just trying to take the easy path.

- There was controversy over candidate Ahn's pledge to establish a 'Pangyo specialized high school' being omitted from the pledge book.

▲ It is not the existing foreign language high schools or science high schools but a 'future-oriented IT education center' reflecting the characteristics of Google Campus, but there is no such high school in the world. Also, the area is experiencing a decline in student numbers, so establishing a new school is not possible. Therefore, I have pledged to attract KAIST research institutes and graduate schools instead. Candidate Ahn included such pledges because he lacks understanding of the region.

- Your number one pledge is to add an SRT station at GTX Seongnam Station. Why?

▲ Traffic is the most urgent issue in Bundang and Pangyo. SRT Seongnam Station can create a triple station area by connecting the existing Gyeonggang Line GTX. I will also solve the issue of expanding metropolitan buses. Due to the bus total volume system, creating new routes is not easy, but I believe efforts to establish new routes and active promotion of route changes through negotiations with local governments are necessary.

- This is a difficult election due to party issues.

▲ Of course, it is regrettable. Since the last presidential election, the Democratic Party has lost its center. I argued that those responsible for the election results should have taken more time for self-reflection and waiting, but that did not happen, which I see as the biggest problem. I also failed in the general election two years ago but took considerable time afterward for self-reflection and remorse. I believe that is the duty of a politician. Representative Song Young-gil should not have run in this election. It was not right for him to come to the forefront less than a month after resigning to take responsibility for the presidential defeat. If there were truly no candidates, I would understand, but there were several (Seoul mayor) candidates, so the justification is lacking. Although the political landscape is absolutely unfavorable due to internal strife, party support, and the early stage of the new government, I feel the public sentiment is better than two years ago, so I enjoy the campaign itself.

- Any final words you want to emphasize?

▲ Let's change politics. Candidate Ahn also talks about political change, but his 'pop-up migratory bird politics' must now disappear. Not because he is an opponent, but how can such people claim to represent the people? They are criticized because they do not want to give up vested interests, yet they have reached a situation where they are unaware of this. I have declared that I will end Ahn Cheol-soo's politics with this election, and if I can make that happen, I believe I can change Korean politics.

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