"Kim Youngrok, the Special Integrated Mayor Candidate for Jeonnam-Gwangju, Will Achieve What Citizens and the President Want"

Kim Youngrok Announces “Five Key Promises for the Lives of Gwangju Citizens”
Establishment of Youth Foundation, Comprehensive Children’s Hospital, and Gwangju-Style Health Town

Kim Youngrok, Preliminary Candidate for Mayor of Gwangju-Jeonnam Unified City. Provided by Kim's campaign team

Kim Youngrok, a prospective candidate from the Democratic Party for the special integrated mayor of Gwangju and Jeonnam, announced on April 9 the “Five Key Policies to Take Responsibility for the Lives of Gwangju Citizens.” According to Kim’s campaign, these policies outline a direction to transform Gwangju from a mere symbol of democracy into a city that truly takes responsibility for the quality of life of its citizens.

Kim stated, “The future of Gwangju can no longer be prepared with just symbols and slogans. What matters is who can actually change the city’s structure, improve the lives of its citizens, and create conditions for future generations to return and settle here.”

The first policy presented is the creation of 100,000 quality jobs.

The plan is to transform Gwangju’s industries by focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), future mobility, and the energy sector, while expanding private investment and attracting more companies. The campaign also pledged to establish a talent development system linking universities, businesses, and local government, and to set up a support system connecting education, employment, and settlement.

The establishment of the “Gwangju Youth Foundation” for a youth-oriented Gwangju was also included.

Since youth issues are not limited to employment but are structural problems affecting all aspects of young people’s lives, the foundation will serve as a control tower to coordinate policies on employment, housing, startups, culture, and education. The plan also includes linking support for marriage, childbirth, and settlement, as well as creating a youth policy platform that connects universities and industrial sites.

The necessity of establishing a comprehensive children’s hospital was also emphasized.

The aim is to establish a pediatric medical safety net for Gwangju and the Honam region, including a specialized pediatric care system, enhanced pediatric emergency medical functions, and the capacity to respond to rare diseases.

Kim also mentioned the creation of a large-scale “Gwangju-style Health Town” integrating health, rehabilitation, and care services.

The plan is to further expand the Bitgoeul Health Town and Hyoryeong Health Town, moving beyond simple elderly welfare to improve the quality of life for the parental generation and reduce anxiety for the entire family, thus implementing a welfare policy that bridges generations.

Under the slogan “Sports & Tourism Gwangju,” Kim outlined a vision to develop Gwangju into a stay-type tourist city that connects sports, nature, and historical assets.

The plan includes expanding the professional baseball stadium, building a premium park golf course, and actively developing Mudeungsan and the 5·18 Democratization Movement as tourism products, with the goal of transforming Gwangju into a city “to see, enjoy, learn, and stay.”

Kim stated, “By connecting jobs, youth policy, children’s healthcare, senior health, and sports & tourism into a single flow, I will transform Gwangju into a city that takes responsibility for citizens’ lives from beginning to end—a city people want to visit and stay in. This is what the citizens want, what the president wants, and what I, Kim Youngrok, the special integrated mayor, will definitely achieve.”

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