Democratic Party Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Mayoral and Gubernatorial Candidates: "Immediate Restoration of Megacity"

The Democratic Party candidates for the 9th Nationwide Simultaneous Local Elections for the heads of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam held a joint campaign launch event at Bongha Village in Gimhae, Gyeongnam Province, declaring their commitment to immediately push forward the "Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Megacity" initiative.

Jeon Jae-Soo, candidate for Busan Mayor, Kim Sang-Wook, candidate for Ulsan Mayor, and Kim Kyung-Soo, candidate for Gyeongnam Governor, paid their respects at the grave site of the late former President Roh Moo-Hyun in Bongha Village on the morning of the 14th, and then announced their key pledges.

Jeon Jae-su, the Democratic Party of Korea's mayoral candidate for Busan (first from the left), Kim Kyung-soo, the candidate for governor of Gyeongnam Province, and Kim Sang-wook, the candidate for mayor of Ulsan, are taking a commemorative photo with the statue of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun in Bongha Village, Gimhae.
[Photo by Democratic Party of Korea Gyeongnam Provincial Party]

They stated, "The world where local regions are truly livable, a lifelong dream of former President Roh Moo-Hyun, has not yet arrived. Here in Bongha, where his spirit resides, we declare that we will revive the heart of balanced regional development, which has come to a halt, and usher in the era of Korea’s second metropolitan area."

They continued, "Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam is the heart of Korea’s industrialization, the root of democratization driven by the Buma Democratic Uprising and the June Democratic Uprising, and a region that has always opened new paths in times of national crisis. However, Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam is now being pushed to the brink, losing its opportunities and dreams, and heading toward extinction."

They further pledged, "Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam is the region best positioned to quickly and properly create another metropolitan area and develop it into a new engine of growth for Korea. We vow to immediately restore the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Megacity—which was halted by the People Power Party—and establish its status as Korea’s second major metropolitan area."

Kim Kyungsoo, the Democratic Party candidate for Governor of Gyeongnam Province (center), is announcing a pledge to restore the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam megacity.
[Photo by Democratic Party Gyeongnam Provincial Office]

They added, "This election is not simply about choosing new mayors and governors; it is about deciding whether or not we can dismantle the decades-old dominance of the Seoul metropolitan area and fundamentally transform Korea’s national spatial structure. As the 'true united team' of the Democratic Party, united by a shared vision, we will take responsibility for the future of Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam and the entire nation."

They also promised, "Busan, as Korea’s maritime capital, will leap forward as a global logistics hub competing with the world. Ulsan, as the capital of AX manufacturing innovation, will lead the industrial transformation of Korea. Gyeongnam, as the center of global future industries, will revitalize the Korean economy."

On this day, the three candidates jointly presented their core pledges: immediate restoration of the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Megacity, a second round of public institution relocations, attracting large corporations, and establishing a metropolitan public transportation network to create a 30-minute living zone connecting the key cities of the region.

They also announced that, upon election, they would immediately form a consultative body to begin restoring the megacity.

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