Choi Chi-hyun Declares Candidacy for Next Year's General Election: "New Figures Needed to Change Political Landscape"

Presenting the '7 Major Blue Visions' for Balanced National Development... 1 Key Task & 6 Major Pledges

Highlighting Strengths from Local and Central Government System Experience "Will Be a Force for Regime Change"

Former Blue House administrative officer Choi Chi-hyun officially declared his candidacy for the Gwangsan District in Gwangju in next year’s National Assembly election.

On the 7th, Choi held a press conference at the Gwangju Metropolitan Council and stated, “With the determination to bring about a change in the ruthless Yoon Seok-yeol administration through new personnel replacement, I am running in next year’s general election.”

He said, “The Yoon Seok-yeol administration, brandishing the sword of prosecutorial dictatorship and even damaging the national identity, is threatening democracy and people’s livelihoods while the country’s competitiveness is rapidly declining,” and pledged, “I will do my best to ensure a regime change.”

He continued, “To achieve regime change, a new figure is needed to change the political landscape that wastes time on power struggles and seat preservation rather than serving the people,” emphasizing, “I advocate for personnel replacement and will open an era of local decentralization centered on my constituency, Gwangsan.”

Along with his candidacy declaration, he presented the ‘7 Major Blue Visions,’ a strategy for balanced national development through local decentralization.

The blue color symbolizes the Democratic Party and signifies a well-prepared and firmly executed plan to create a stir.

The plan consists of one major task that must be pursued for the future of not only Gwangsan but also Gwangju, and six pledges to improve regional development and the quality of life for local residents.

The one major task, looking far into the future, is to apply the concept of the Southern Capital Area to the Gwangju region, transforming the crisis of local extinction into an opportunity for local recovery. This is a strategy to present a new model for the era of local decentralization not only for Gwangsan and Gwangju but beyond.

The six pledges to lead regional innovation are: ▲establishing economic policies that serve as a foundation for current and future food source creation ▲expanding cultural infrastructure to enhance quality of life and spiritual richness ▲building an educational foundation to realize the dreams of future generations and create Gwangsan’s future ▲establishing institutional measures to make the city a place where the younger generation wants to live and does not leave ▲creating a welfare system that satisfies all through customized welfare policies by class and generation ▲completing a renewable energy industrial city that drives future industrial innovation through carbon neutrality and achieving RE100.

Choi said, “It is the role of National Assembly members to face the local realities that central politics overlook and fail to address, to devise institutional measures and policies for balanced national development, and to legislate laws and review budgets,” emphasizing, “A new figure is needed who can fulfill their duty as a public servant protecting the constitutional spirit that ‘all sovereignty resides in the people’ by creating a cooperative parliament, not one of political strife.”

He also proposed the construction of a second Gwangsan District office building to improve administrative convenience for local residents.

Highlighting his strengths gained from resolving residents’ complaints at the local government level and his experience with national governance systems at the central government and Blue House, he emphasized that he is an essential talent as a local National Assembly member because he understands what the region wants and how the central government views, prioritizes, and decides on those issues.

He added, “I will unleash the valuable experiences I have accumulated step by step for the development of the nation and region, and through personnel replacement and regime change, I will help build a better Republic of Korea.”

Meanwhile, Choi studied at Gwangju University and Korea University and has worked as a progressive activist in unification and human rights movements, serving as president of the student council at Gwangju University and secretary-general of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Conscience Prisoners Support Association. He has held various positions including head of the Open Civil Complaints Office in Gwangsan District during the 5th and 6th local governments, administrative officer at the Blue House under the Moon Jae-in administration, policy advisor to the Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, and political special advisor directly under presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung. He gained a reputation as a conflict and mediation expert by resolving various social conflicts such as labor and environmental issues.

As a leading figure of the 1970s generation who grew from the local level and proved his capabilities in national governance and central ministries, Choi has served as director of the Together Gwangju Research Institute and vice chairman of the Democratic Party’s Strategic Planning Committee. Currently, he is the vice chairman of the Democratic Party’s Gwangju Metropolitan City Party, actively continuing his work in the local community to accompany and empathize with residents.

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