'The Thick Gap Narrowed' Gwangju-Daegu 'Chemistry Explosion' Model of Administration

Mayor Kang Gijeong and Hong Junpyo's Steadfastness, Strategy, and Political Skills Forge Strong 'Dalbit Alliance' Achievements

Following the Special Acts on Military Airports and Dalbit Railroads, Entering the 'Path of Industrial Alliance'

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The ‘Kang Ki-jung-Hong Jun-pyo alliance’ is unstoppable. Following the joint opening of the ‘sky route’ and the ‘rail route,’ the Moonlight Alliance is now advancing toward the ‘path of industrial alliance.’ This perfect cooperation between Gwangju Metropolitan City and Daegu Metropolitan City is becoming a model of administration leading the local era.

According to Gwangju City on the 6th, Gwangju and Daegu, which had a thick wall of regional sentiment between Yeongnam and Honam, succeeded in passing the ‘Special Act on Military Airports’ through the Moonlight Alliance, followed by the passage of the ‘Special Act on Moonlight Railroad.’ They are now preparing to move forward with an ‘industrial alliance to establish a southern mega-economic zone.’

The thick gap between Yeongnam and Honam, which seemed almost impossible to narrow, is now closing even the psychological distance through cooperation in local administration.

This is the result of the steadfastness, meticulous strategy, and strong Moonlight Alliance between Kang Ki-jung, Mayor of Gwangju, and Hong Jun-pyo, Mayor of Daegu.

The ‘Moonlight Alliance,’ named after Dalgu-beol (Daegu) and Bitgoeul (Gwangju), dates back to July 2009. The term ‘Moonlight Alliance’ was first used when Gwangju and Daegu signed a business agreement for the joint development of the medical industry.

Since then, in March 2013, they began full-fledged exchanges through the ‘Moonlight Alliance Joint Cooperation Agreement.’ The mayors of Gwangju and Daegu strengthened their friendship by attending each other’s events, such as the ‘Daegu 2·28 Democratic Movement Commemoration Ceremony’ and the ‘Gwangju 5·18 Democratization Movement Commemoration Ceremony.’

Since the 8th local government term, cooperation between Kang Ki-jung, Mayor of Gwangju, and Hong Jun-pyo, Mayor of Daegu, has noticeably increased.

In fact, although the two mayors belong to different political parties and have different political orientations, they share the goal of implementing ‘resident-first’ policies. During their election periods, they appeared together on a TV program, expressing ideas such as the ‘Yeong-Honam Semiconductor Alliance’ and the ‘Four Major Gateway Airports Theory,’ forming a consensus on balanced regional development centered on Gwangju and Daegu. This is a moment when their unique chemistry shines.

Subsequently, in November 2022, Gwangju and Daegu signed the ‘Moonlight Alliance Strengthening Agreement’ to open the sky route, rail route, and water route. The two mayors agreed to cooperate with the political circles to relocate Gwangju Military Airport and construct the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport, which will serve as the cornerstone for regional development.

The goal was to solve airport issues to create a turning point for regional development and to secure Yeongnam-Honam mutual growth and local competitiveness by expanding infrastructure such as railroads and roads at the national level.

Finally, in April of last year, the long-awaited Gwangju Military Airport relocation project took off. The ‘Special Act on the Relocation of Gwangju Military Airport and Development of the Former Site (hereinafter referred to as the Gwangju Military Airport Special Act)’ passed the National Assembly plenary session simultaneously with the ‘Special Act for the Construction of Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport’ through bipartisan agreement.

This success was hidden behind the two mayors’ steadfastness, political skills, and meticulous strategy. They anticipated that by employing a so-called ‘double-pull strategy’ that persuades both the government and the ruling and opposition parties, the passage of the Moonlight Railroad Special Act in the National Assembly would also be possible.

It is evaluated that the ruling party leader, Representative Yoon Jae-ok, who took charge from start to finish, succeeded in drawing bipartisan cooperation under the pretext of national balanced development and dismantling the metropolitan area’s one-pole system.

Having jointly opened the ‘sky route,’ Gwangju and Daegu pooled their efforts to open the ‘rail route.’ The six cities and provinces along the Moonlight Railroad route?Gwangju, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, and Daegu?and the political circles cooperated to promote the enactment of the ‘Special Act for the Early Construction of the Moonlight Railroad.’

As a result, in August of last year, a record number of 261 lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties jointly proposed the special act. However, when progress stalled due to economic logic, Mayor Kang and Mayor Hong continued their cooperation by delivering petitions urging the passage of the ‘Moonlight Railroad Special Act’ to the Speaker of the National Assembly and both parties, as well as issuing joint statements to urge the government and political circles to make a decision.

In particular, Mayor Kang demonstrated political skills by visiting the National Assembly and meeting with the floor leaders of both parties to request the passage of the Moonlight Railroad Special Act.

Once realized, the Moonlight Railroad will make Gwangju and Daegu neighbors reachable within an hour, connecting the daily lives of 18 million Yeongnam and Honam residents, including the previously disconnected Gwangju and Daegu, and is expected to become a catalyst for regional vitality.

Furthermore, Gwangju and Daegu plan to advance to the third stage: an ‘industrial alliance to establish a southern mega-economic zone.’

Kang Ki-jung, Mayor of Gwangju, said, “I hope that Daegu and Gwangju will join hands to overcome regional extinction well and become a very important subject for national balanced development through continuous communication.”

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