Park Suhyun Proposes "Oil, Chemical, AI, and Nighttime Economy" as Three Key Supplementary Budget Strategies for South Chungcheong

Simultaneously Addressing the Middle East-Driven Industrial Crisis and Livelihood Recovery

"Designation of Daesan Industrial Complex as a National Industrial Complex Must Proceed in Parallel"

Park Suhyun, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea

Park Suhyun, a member of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gongju, Buyeo, and Cheongyang), who has declared his candidacy for Governor of South Chungcheong Province in the upcoming June 3 local elections, has proposed three key directions for an extra budget to address the crisis originating from the Middle East and the ongoing economic downturn. His solutions target industry, livelihoods, and the regional economy simultaneously, centering on strategies for restructuring the oil and chemical industries, AI-driven industrial innovation, and revitalization of the nighttime economy.

On March 17, Park stated, "The supplementary budget under the Lee Jaemyung administration must drive both industrial crisis recovery and the restoration of livelihoods." He outlined the following as core pillars: responding to the crisis in the oil and chemical industries, establishing a foundation for AI-driven (AX) industrial innovation, and revitalizing the nighttime economy.

Regarding the oil and chemical industries, Park emphasized the need for government intervention for structural transformation, stating, "The industry as a whole is facing a crisis due to the combination of a prolonged recession and the situation in the Middle East."

According to Park, the national tax payments made by Seosan’s petrochemical companies have plummeted from 1.4951 trillion won in 2022 to 116 billion won in 2024, and the operating rate at the Daesan Industrial Complex has also dropped to the 60 percent range.

He argued that "a transition to high value-added industries should be pursued based on the government-approved 'Daesan Project No. 1'," and that the extra budget should include the following: securing raw materials domestically as a top priority, providing special financial support, and supporting the transition to eco-friendly and AI-based industries. He also proposed that designating the Daesan petrochemical complex as a national industrial complex should proceed in parallel.

On the subject of the AI industry, Park stressed the urgency of transformation, saying, "In the AI era, even a day's delay sets us a generation behind," and highlighted the need to focus on industrial transformation outside the capital region. He envisions supporting the AX transition of small and medium-sized enterprises, building AI demonstration infrastructure within industrial complexes, and establishing AI open labs and GPU/NPU-based cloud infrastructure, in order to lay the foundation for capturing the global AI manufacturing market.

As a measure to revitalize the regional economy, Park has put forward the "nighttime economy" as a central theme. He emphasized the need to transform tourism into stay-based consumption, expand consumption through regular nighttime performances and the development of local tourism content, and promote a virtuous cycle of job creation.

Park stated, "We cannot overcome the current crisis with existing methods," and stressed that "a bold supplementary budget is needed to simultaneously revive industry, livelihoods, and the regional economy."

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