Kim Ki-hyun Meets Honam Youth in Gwangju: "We Must Make the Region Prosper"

Meeting with 12 Youth Members and Non-Members

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, emphasized on the 18th, during a meeting with the youth leadership from Gwangju and Jeonnam, that the spirit of May 18 should be inherited and that the Honam region must prosper.

Kim, along with Supreme Council member Kim Byung-min, Youth Supreme Council member Jang Ye-chan, and Youth Spokesperson Kim Ga-ram, held a discussion at a cafe in Gwangju with 12 young people from Gwangju and Jeonnam. Among the youth attendees were not only non-members of the People Power Party but also Lee Young-cheol, a former special advisor for Gwangju and Jeonnam to Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.

The meeting was arranged at Kim’s request. Youth Spokesperson Kim explained, "Many leaders from the People Power Party, including Leader Kim, came together. Due to scheduling, they could only have one meal, but Leader Kim insisted on having a meal with the youth of Gwangju, so we arranged this gathering."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim and the leadership spoke with the youth in a relaxed manner, having loosened their ties. Youth Spokesperson Kim Ga-ram introduced each young participant, adding comments such as, "They said they attended to discuss issues related to the Gwangju complex shopping mall with the leader," and "They came to propose policies for the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises."

Kim told the youth, "Most of you were not born during the Gwangju Democratization Movement, but I lived through that time," and added, "I was also a student who participated in demonstrations, and sitting at today’s (commemoration) ceremony made me feel emotional."

He continued, "What you especially need to do is to build upon the democratization movement that was fought to protect freedom, democracy, and human rights, and then make our region prosperous so that many people can live with pride in their city."

Kim further stated, "I believe that this is what the descendants who carry on the spirit of May should do, so I want to hear from you about how we can create jobs in our region and make it a future where dreams can come true."

Kim also addressed the issue of the Gwangju complex shopping mall. He said, "I was surprised while campaigning in Gwangju. There isn’t a single complex shopping mall," and added, "As someone who served as mayor of Ulsan, I find this even harder to understand. I hope we can think together about such practical challenges."

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