Former Korail Tourism Development CEO Kwon Baeksin Announces Mayoral Candidacy

Raising the Need for Structural Transformation of the Local Economy
and Strategies to Link Industrial Sectors

Kwon Baeksin, former CEO of Korail Tourism Development, officially announced his candidacy for the Andong mayoral election on December 4.

In his declaration, he highlighted the need for structural changes in the local economy and proposed integrated strategies across industry, tourism, and culture. He emphasized that his hands-on experience in the central government and public institutions could be applied to address local issues.

Kwon Baeksin, former CEO of Korail Tourism Development, officially announced his candidacy for the Andong mayoral election on the 4th.

After serving as Policy Advisor to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and as an aide to a National Assembly member, Kwon was appointed CEO of Korail Tourism Development, where he oversaw organizational management and regional partnership projects. He stated, "Based on my experience in administration and policy, as well as analysis of local industries, I have reviewed a variety of scenarios."

◆ Diagnosing Local Economic Stagnation... "Need to Review Export-Oriented Administrative Systems"

Kwon pointed to the factors behind Andong's economic stagnation, noting, "Local industries remain focused on domestic demand, so strengthening connectivity with external markets is necessary."

Regarding the export support system, he mentioned several needs: discussions on establishing an organization responsible for export support functions; reviewing administrative procedures to improve efficiency in companies' export preparation processes; and supporting joint participation in overseas exhibitions and international business programs. Kwon stressed that, at this stage, these are policy considerations being reviewed as part of his candidacy, emphasizing that such systems could help local small and medium-sized enterprises expand their reach into external markets.

Despite Andong's potential in agri-food, bio, and traditional culture sectors, it has been repeatedly pointed out that the city's scale of overseas market entry remains limited.

Kwon's remarks are in line with recent local research institute analyses, which also highlight the need to connect the region's industrial structure with external networks. However, whether these ideas will be institutionalized will become clearer during the announcement of his official campaign pledges.

◆ Emphasizing Industry-Tourism-Culture Integration... "Abundant Resources, but Lack of Structure"

Kwon pointed out that Andong's historical, veterans, and traditional cultural resources are not yet systematically linked with industry and tourism, and he outlined directions for improvement.

He mentioned the need for a "fan-based tourism model" linked to sports spectating and experiences; a stay-type tourism strategy utilizing traditional culture and historical resources; and the creation of a tourism startup ecosystem in collaboration with young local entrepreneurs.

Although Andong enjoys strong nationwide brand recognition, it has often been criticized for its lack of progress in industrializing tourism and cultural resources.

Kwon's emphasis on this issue addresses a core local challenge. In fact, as more regional cities across the country are combining urban regeneration with tourism to create new jobs, it is now time for Andong to discuss structural transformation as well.

◆ Showcasing Experience in Railway-Tourism Integration... Highlighting Win-Win Models with Local Communities

Kwon introduced programs he implemented in cooperation with local governments during his tenure at Korail Tourism Development.

He explained that he operated various tourism models combining local characteristics-such as forestry, traditional liquor, and sports-with the mobility offered by railways.

Representative examples include a forestry tourism tour pass, special train programs for sports fans, and content development linking local traditional liquor culture with tourism.

He also cited evaluations that these initiatives had positive ripple effects, such as boosting consumption of local agricultural and specialty products, increasing sales in accommodation and food and beverage businesses, and expanding tourism-related employment.

Railway-based tourism is now considered a leading example of public institution and local government collaboration.

The projects Kwon managed have been cited as successful cases of tourism revitalization in various regions, and his experience is regarded as a valuable reference for developing urban tourism strategies.

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