Hyungbae Min Announces Candidacy for First Mayor of Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Integrated City

First Official Candidacy Announcement for Unified Leadership
"Breaking Down Boundaries to Create a Mega Metropolitan Area in the Southern Region"

Assemblyman Hyungbae Min of the Democratic Party has officially announced his candidacy for the inaugural Mayor of the Special Integrated City of Jeonnam and Gwangju, with the selection of a unified leader for Jeonnam and Gwangju in mind.

Hyungbae Min, Member of the Democratic Party representing Gwangsan-eul, Gwangju.

On February 2, Hyungbae Min, Member of the Democratic Party representing Gwangsan-eul, Gwangju, held a press conference at the Gwangju City Council briefing room and formalized his intention to run for the first mayor of the Special Integrated City of Jeonnam and Gwangju. While there have been declarations to run for Gwangju Mayor or Jeonnam Governor, this is the first time a candidacy has been announced on the premise of electing a unified leader for Jeonnam and Gwangju.

Assemblyman Min stated, "I will break down the boundaries between Jeonnam and Gwangju, move beyond the Seoul-centric system, surpass Seoul, and create an integrated Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City with world-class competitiveness."

He added, "Jeonnam and Gwangju have always been a single community in terms of daily life, economy, and culture, but due to artificial administrative separation, they have been competing for budgets and projects. Integration is not an end in itself, but a means to create more jobs and income, and to provide conditions so that the next generation does not have to leave the region."

Assemblyman Min presented five principles for integration: growth integration, balanced integration, basic income, green city, and citizen sovereignty. Regarding growth integration, he said, "We will foster the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City as the capital of new industries in the southern region and a mega metropolitan area, creating a job ecosystem that connects artificial intelligence (AI), energy, space, and bio industries."

For the balanced integration strategy, he stated, "We will fundamentally prevent Jeonnam from being disadvantaged through systems and laws. We will stipulate minimum guarantees and priority support for rural, fishing, and island areas, and appoint deputy mayors representing four regions to continuously monitor balance."

He also proposed a new economic map based on division of labor and circulation, dividing the area into eastern, western, central, and Gwangju zones. The plan includes establishing the Southern New Industry Capital Development Agency in the eastern zone, the Jeonnam Gwangju Energy Industry Corporation in the western zone, and the National Artificial Intelligence Innovation Promotion Agency and AI Data Agency in the Gwangju zone.

Assemblyman Min pledged, "We will create the first autonomous government in the southern region to exercise real authority over industry, energy, finance, and administration," promising to realize a substantive autonomous government based on a special law.

He continued, "Among lawmakers from the Honam region, I was the first to declare support for Lee Jaemyung. I have stood with President Lee for 16 years, even undertaking hunger strikes and leaving the party to resist prosecutorial dictatorship. Now, together with President Lee and the people of the region, I will open a new era of balanced integration for Jeonnam and Gwangju."

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