Jeong Junho: "Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrate After 40 Years... 30 Trillion Won Investment to Build Mega-Regional Economic Zone"

Attended Joint Debate Hosted by Asia Business Daily, Dealsight Economy TV, Wikitree, and Herald Economy

"Investing 30 Trillion Won Beyond 20 Trillion... Building Honam Future Town, Semiconductor and Energy Belts"

"Introducing HTX for 38-Minute Travel from Gwangju to Muan Airport... 60-Minute Living Zone Across Jeonnam"

"Prioritizing Public Institution Relocation Outside Gwangju... Balanced Development Based on Jeonnam’s Self-Sufficiency"

"Relocating Korea National University of Arts and Fostering Cultural Content Industry... Creating an Integrated Special City that Attracts Young People"

Jeong Junho, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea running for the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special Mayor election, described the integration of Jeonnam and Gwangju as "a historic starting point for becoming one again after 40 years," and presented a future vision through industrial innovation and the construction of a mega-regional transportation network.

On March 16, at the candidate debate for the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special Mayor held at the CGI Center studio in Nam-gu, Gwangju, candidate Jeong explained the significance of integration and the future policy direction.

This debate was jointly organized by four economic media outlets: The Asia Business Daily Honam Reporting Division, Dealsight Economy TV, Wikitree, and Herald Economy. Reporters from each outlet participated as panelists, asking questions about the candidate's policy vision and integration plans.

Junho Jung, a prospective candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea's special integrated mayoral election for Jeonnam and Gwangju, is answering policy questions with panelists during a joint interview held by four economic newspapers at the CGI Center Studio in Nam-gu, Gwangju, on the 16th. From the left, Haesub Noh, Head of Wikitree Honam Headquarters; Ugwan Kim, Head of Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters; candidate Junho Jung; Inju Seo, Head of Herald Economy; Donghwan Choi, Head of Dealsight Economic TV. Photo by Bohyun Song

Regarding the significance of integration, candidate Jeong stated, "This is a historic starting point for Gwangju and Jeonnam, which were separated 40 years ago, to become one again. When no one in the 22nd National Assembly dared to take the initiative, I was the first to sponsor the special integration bill and opened the way for this tremendous change."

He continued, "At a time when others were only watching the political gains and losses, I brought together Honam lawmakers and persuaded the party to lay the practical foundation for passing the special bill. As the person who directly designed the blueprint for integration, I believe my responsibility and calling is to make sure the first step of the integrated special city is perfectly executed so that the rosy vision does not end as a mere slogan."

As for the future vision of the integrated special city, he proposed three innovative investments to transform the structure of industry, transportation, and investment, based on the government's promised support of 20 trillion won.

Candidate Jeong said, "The government's promised 20 trillion won is the seed money that will support the next 100 years of Honam's future. I will not scatter it in a consumptive manner, but will focus on investments that will fundamentally change Honam's structure."

He further stated that he would seek a total support amount of 30 trillion won, exceeding the government's 20 trillion won, and would link Gwangju's military airport site "Honam Future Town" with Jeonnam's "Semiconductor, Data, and Energy Belt." Through this, he envisions establishing a global "Physical AI" and semiconductor cluster to build an industrial base that attracts world-class companies.

He also said that he would realize a "60-minute living zone" through the construction of a hyper-connected transportation network that reaches every corner of Jeonnam and Gwangju.

Candidate Jeong stated, "It takes 33 minutes by car from Muan to Gwangju, but 143 minutes by public transportation. By introducing the HTX (Honam Metropolitan Express Railway) and securing national funding for metropolitan transportation facilities, I will establish a single living zone where it takes 38 minutes from Gwangju to Muan Airport and within 60 minutes to anywhere in Jeonnam."

In addition, he proposed the introduction of a "citizen shareholder fund," where citizens directly invest in large-scale projects of the integrated special city and receive dividends from the profits.

He said, "I will establish an innovative financial governance system where citizens directly invest in and receive dividends from major projects of the integrated special city, and will support this by enacting ordinances to ensure that the profits from public assets go to city and provincial residents, not specific capital."

He added, "The future of Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City is to build a city that competes globally with advanced industries and allows citizens to directly share the fruits of that growth."

Regarding solutions to regional conflict, he emphasized securing local self-sufficiency through the relocation of public institutions and the establishment of an energy industry base.

Candidate Jeong stated, "For the new second phase of public institution relocation, I will set a principle of prioritizing locations outside of Gwangju and will proceed with relocation based on the resource characteristics of each region."

He continued, "True balanced development is not about declarations, but about each region being able to sustain itself. I will establish an energy mix that combines Jeonnam's strength in renewable energy with small modular reactors (SMR) to create an industrial environment that meets RE100 standards."

He said, "Based on President Lee Jaemyung's principle of 'local production and local consumption,' I will attract advanced companies such as robotics, physical AI, and semiconductors across Jeonnam by leveraging the most affordable and stable energy, and help Jeonnam leap forward as a hub for future industries."

Jeong Junho, a preliminary candidate for the Democratic Party's Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special Mayor primary, is taking a commemorative photo at the joint speech meeting for the preliminary candidates for the 9th simultaneous nationwide local elections for Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special Mayor, held on the 14th at the Democratic Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding the location of the government office, which is cited as a source of conflict in the integration process, he proposed a functionally dispersed administrative system.

Candidate Jeong stated, "The reason the location of the government office became the fuse for integration is due to the fixed notion that all administrative functions would be concentrated in one place. I will promote functional dispersion and rotational allocation, with each site performing administrative work and responding to local needs—assigning industry to eastern Jeonnam, energy to Muan, and mobility and research to Gwangju."

On the subject of competitiveness in the primary, he highlighted his experience sponsoring the integration special bill and his negotiation skills with the central government.

He said, "While other candidates considered how to divide and use the government's promised 20 trillion won, I believed we needed to expand the scale. In order to establish a solid foundation in the early stages of integration, I propose an investment of 10 trillion won each year for the first two years, totaling 30 trillion won."

He continued, "Since I was the first to sponsor the integration special bill in the 22nd National Assembly and have been designing the government's national balanced development vision, '5 Axes 3 Specials,' together with the party, I will negotiate with the government to secure the necessary budget. I will not be a mayor who only accepts what is given, but one who boldly negotiates with the government to expand the pie."

He added, "To walk the unprecedented path of Jeonnam-Gwangju integration, we need youthful fighting spirit, execution power, and insight. I will communicate closely with party leadership and central ministries to bring in the necessary budget and policies."

Candidate Jeong also mentioned his achievements as a member of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee regarding transportation issues between Gwangju and Jeonnam.

He said, "Through the integration of KTX and SRT, we increased the number of Honam Line seats by 4,684 per day and reduced transfer waiting times by up to 26 minutes. We also secured 10 billion won in national funding for upgrading the Honam Line KTX substation. I will ensure that the Gwangju-Naju metropolitan railway is included in the Fifth National Rail Network Construction Plan to be announced in the second half of this year."

Regarding the industrial strategy for the southwestern region of Jeonnam, he also revealed plans to create a semiconductor and AI cluster in the Haenam, Muan, and Sinan areas.

He stated, "The citizens of Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City are expecting tangible effects after integration. At the very least, I will create conditions for job creation and investment so that by the end of this year there will be news of large companies promising to invest in Gwangju and Jeonnam."

Regarding the Muan International Airport issue, he said, "The airport closure period was originally until April 5, but the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is considering a three-month extension. Considering the delay in restoring the damaged localizer caused by the accident and the additional discovery of victims' remains, it appears that reopening will be possible in the second half of the year."

He continued, "Bereaved families are demanding the establishment of accident prevention measures and a thorough recovery of all wreckage. Although there are calls for temporary international flights to operate from Gwangju Airport, time is required for institutional preparations such as amendments to the Customs Act Enforcement Decree and the Quarantine Act Enforcement Rules, as well as for facility improvements, so immediate operation is realistically difficult."

He said, "From the moment of the tragedy, I have stayed at Muan Airport with the bereaved families and participated in the special committee and National Assembly investigation into the passenger plane disaster. I will prioritize uncovering the truth and preventing recurrence, while seeking a balanced solution that minimizes damage to the tourism industry and the local economy."

He also said, "The reason I often use regular taxis when visiting event venues in Gwangju is because conversations with taxi drivers provide the most vivid insight into public sentiment. In taxis, I hear how difficult the commercial district in front of Gwangju Station is and which sections are most affected by traffic congestion."

He added, "The moment a politician's ear becomes distant from the field, politics falls into dogmatism. Even if I am elected mayor, I will interact directly with citizens in taxis and at markets to listen to their opinions."

Regarding strategies to attract young people and promote urban growth, he emphasized fostering the cultural and content industries.

He said, "Just because Jeonnam and Gwangju are merged administratively does not mean that young people who left will automatically return. I will create high-quality jobs preferred by young people by attracting global companies and fostering the cultural and content industries."

He continued, "To disperse the concentration of cultural infrastructure in the Seoul metropolitan area, I will promote the relocation of the Korea National University of Arts to Jeonnam and Gwangju and establish a new graduate school. By combining Gwangju's Asia Culture Center, Jeonnam's tourism resources, and the talents of the Korea National University of Arts, I will create an Asian cultural hub city."

He added, "I will create a city where art puts food on the table and where young people flock—the most attractive integrated special city."

On the morning of the 16th, at the studio inside the CGI Center in Nam-gu, Gwangju, during the Jeonnam Gwangju Unified Special Mayor Candidate Debate, Kim Ugwan, Head of Honam Coverage at The Asia Business Daily, Roh Haseop, Head of Honam at Wikitree, candidate Jung Junho, Choi Donghwan, Head of Dealsite Economy TV, and Seo Inju, Manager at Herald Economy, (from left) are posing for a commemorative photo.

Meanwhile, this debate will be broadcast through the YouTube channels of the four economic media outlets, and key scenes will also be produced as short-form videos and released.

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