[22nd General Election Candidates] Jeonnam Haenam, Wando, Jindo

Politics Expert Park Jiwon Draws Attention by Running in His True Hometown Constituency

Incumbent Yoon Jaegap and 5 Others Actively Preparing for Democratic Party Primary

Gwak Bonggeun, Ruling Party National Policy Advisory Committee Advisor

The Jeonnam Haenam-Wando-Jindo electoral district, which attracted nationwide attention when former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won, known as a "political master," declared his candidacy for the 22nd National Assembly election, currently has six candidates from the Democratic Party and one from the People Power Party preparing for the election.

From the Democratic Party, a fierce competition is underway for the nomination among incumbent lawmaker Yoon Jae-gap, who is seeking re-election, former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won, former Head of the Honam Regional Office of the Korea Appraisal Board Yoon Kwang-guk, former Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office Kim Byung-gu, former Senior Administrative Officer of the Presidential Secretariat Jang Hwan-seok, and former lawmaker Lee Young-ho.

From the left, preliminary candidates Kwak Bong-geun, Kim Byung-gu, Park Ji-won, Yoon Kwang-guk, Yoon Jae-gap, Lee Young-ho, Jang Hwan-seok. (In alphabetical order)

Lawmaker Yoon Jae-gap, a member of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee, has been active in opposing the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. He also took the lead in proposing the "Special Act on Support for Fishermen and Others Affected by the Discharge of Contaminated Water from Nuclear Power Plants" and the "Act on Distribution and Price Stabilization of Agricultural and Marine Products" to aid farmers and fishermen struggling due to the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge and abnormal climate phenomena.

Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won has been making extensive moves after announcing his candidacy for the electoral district including his true hometown Jindo, leaving behind his political hometown Mokpo. He promised to expedite the construction of the KTX line that currently operates from Mokpo through Haenam and Wando to Jeju, thereby opening the KTX era for Haenam and Wando.

Yoon Kwang-guk, former Head of the Honam Regional Office of the Korea Appraisal Board, who narrowly lost to Lawmaker Yoon in the Democratic Party primary during the last general election, has also launched a re-challenge for the nomination. Having worked for 27 years at the Korea Appraisal Board, a state-owned enterprise, he is regarded as an expert in the real economy. He is focusing on winning public support by promising to turn the designation of the opportunity development special zone into a driving force for regional growth.

Former Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office Kim Byung-gu, who is also a former prosecutor, has already set up his election office and is preparing for this general election. He emphasizes that, as a former prosecutor in his 50s with passionate energy, he is the only suitable candidate capable of standing against the prosecutorial regime.

Jang Hwan-seok, former Senior Administrative Officer of the Presidential Secretariat and a native of Munnae-myeon, Haenam, promotes himself as a worker who needs no practice, based on his experience working in political parties, the National Assembly, government, and the Blue House.

Former lawmaker Lee Young-ho has entered the race for the gold badge, pledging to attract a global agricultural school to Haenam, Wando, and Jindo.

From the People Power Party, Kwak Bong-geun, an advisor to the People Power Party's National Policy Advisory Committee, has registered as a preliminary candidate and is actively campaigning.

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