Democratic Party Nominates Kyungsoo Kim as Sole Candidate for South Gyeongsang Governor in June 3 Local Elections ... "Top-Level Understanding of Presidential Philosophy and National Balanced Development"

The Democratic Party of Korea's Nomination Management Committee has nominated Kyungsoo Kim, Chairman of the Local Era Committee, as the sole candidate for the party’s gubernatorial race in South Gyeongsang Province for the nationwide local elections scheduled for June 3.

This is the third single-candidate nomination, following Woosang Ho for Gangwon Province Governor and Park Chandae for Incheon Mayor.

On March 5, at a nomination review announcement held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Nomination Management Committee Chairman Lee Soo Kim stated, “Candidate Kyungsoo Kim was elected governor of South Gyeongsang Province in 2018 and successfully managed the provincial administration. Upon the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung government, he was appointed Chairman of the Local Era Committee, and his understanding of the President’s philosophy and national balanced development is at the highest level.”

He added, “I ask for the warm interest and encouragement of the residents of South Gyeongsang Province and the people of Korea so that candidate Kim’s integrity, vast experience, and abilities can be fully realized.”

Kim Kyungsoo, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Local Autonomy, is reviewing his final duties on the day of his resignation. Provided by the Presidential Committee on Local Autonomy

Previously, Chairman Kim was the sole participant in the interview screening for the party’s nomination for South Gyeongsang Province governor, held on February 24.

Subsequently, on March 4, after presiding over a weekly work meeting at the Local Era Committee, he announced his intention to resign as chairman.

Born in 1967 in Goseong, South Gyeongsang Province, Kim began his political career as an aide to a National Assembly member. He later served as the Speech Planning Secretary and Public Relations Secretary at the Roh Moo-hyun Blue House, and as a National Assembly member for Gimhae-eul, South Gyeongsang Province, in the 20th general election in 2016.

He was elected governor of South Gyeongsang Province in the 2018 local elections, but lost his post due to the so-called "Druking" online opinion manipulation case related to the 19th presidential election. After serving approximately 520 days in prison, he was released and restored to his rights through a special pardon by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, regaining his eligibility to run for office.

On the day of his resignation, Chairman Kim stated, “Within 100 days of the launch of the Lee Jaemyung government, we completed the blueprint for the Five Axes, Three Special Zones balanced growth strategy, and now locally driven growth has become the first national agenda for the Republic of Korea government. The Local Era Committee must continue to serve as a steadfast compass for balanced national development.”

He continued, “Now, I will work on creating growth models for balanced development in the regions. I will do my utmost to ensure that South Gyeongsang Province and the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam (Bu-Ul-Gyeong) area lead the locally driven growth of the Lee Jaemyung administration.”

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