Governor Kim Jin-tae Officially Announces Bid for Re-election: "Will Strive Again to Complete Future Industries"

Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon, Officially Announces Bid for Re-election
"I Will Complete the Seven Key Future Industries and Transform Residents' Lives"
Presents Pledges Including the "Gangwon-Style Care System"
Engaging with Residents from Day One of Candidacy Registration
Kicks Off First Official Campaign with the "Relay of Tenacity"

Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Special Autonomous Province, held a press conference in the briefing room of the Gangwon Provincial Office on the 14th, officially declaring his candidacy for the 9th term gubernatorial election.

Governor Jin-Tae Kim of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province held a press conference on the 14th in the briefing room of the Gangwon Provincial Office, officially declaring his candidacy for the 9th term gubernatorial election. Photo provided by candidate Jin-Tae Kim

Governor Kim emphasized his strong determination to once again seek the people's mandate, putting forward "loyalty and tenacity" as his key themes, and expressing a firm commitment to completing the development of Gangwon Special Autonomous Province.

In his declaration speech, Governor Kim expressed deep affection for his hometown, Gangwon. He stated, "I was born in Gangwon, attended elementary, middle, and high school here, and even during my years as a prosecutor or after election defeats, I never left Gangwon. Thanks to the people's support, I became the inaugural governor of Gangwon Special Autonomous Province and, through actions such as a head-shaving protest, dedicated myself to shaping the current structure of the special autonomous province."

He continued, "It was the people's choice that made me governor, enabling me to design the blueprint for Gangwon Special Autonomous Province and personally give it the vision of a 'future industry global city' as the first governor. During the process of revising the underdeveloped Gangwon Special Act twice, I fought with all my might, including staging a head-shaving protest, to complete the current framework."

He especially appealed for policy continuity by presenting remarkable achievements in numerical terms during his term. Governor Kim stated, "We ushered in the era of 10 trillion won in government funding, the highest in Gangwon's history, and initiated 120 advanced future projects in four years. This means we launched a new project every 12 days during my term. Large-scale SOC projects, including the Yeongwol-Samcheok Expressway, have achieved a record of 'eight wins out of eight attempts,' and we are currently preparing for the ninth and tenth projects. To achieve this, my car traveled 200,000 kilometers—equivalent to circling the earth five times," he emphasized.

Provided by candidate Jin-Tae Kim

Regarding his vision for the future, Governor Kim offered an even more concrete blueprint. He said, "We are now in the midst of a great transition, transforming Gangwon from a province known only for potatoes into a leader in advanced future industries. As industrial transformation cannot be completed in just four years, the person who knows Gangwon best must be responsible for finishing the job." He added, "Seven advanced future industries—including semiconductors, bio, future mobility, and hydrogen—are now taking root. From now on, I will focus on attracting companies and creating jobs in earnest."

He further pledged, "If the past four years were about making Gangwon special, the next four years will be about making each and every resident's life special," promising to establish a "Gangwon-style cradle-to-grave care system" encompassing childbirth and parenting, education and employment, as well as retirement pensions.

Kim also vowed to uphold Gangwon's pride. He stated, "There may be candidates sent by the President, but Gangwon Special Autonomous Province was created to take responsibility for our own destiny, free from central government regulation and interference. Last year, when high-ranking officials visited Gangneung during the drought, government funding was not much different from provincial funding. Instead, it was the united efforts of Gangwon's 18 cities and counties, sending water trucks, that overcame the crisis. As such, only by sticking together can we succeed," he stressed.

Finally, Governor Kim declared, "This is not a path assigned by someone from the central government; it is a journey entrusted by the people. As a Gangwon native known for loyalty and tenacity, I will complete the development of Gangwon Special Autonomous Province."

Gangwon Province Governor Jin-tae Kim held a press conference on the 14th at the Gangwon Provincial Government briefing room to officially announce his candidacy for the 9th term gubernatorial election. Photo provided by candidate Jin-tae Kim

Immediately after the press conference, Governor Kim visited the Gangwon Provincial Election Commission and completed his registration as a preliminary candidate. As a result, the administration of Gangwon Province shifted to an acting system under Vice Governor for Administrative Affairs Yeo Jung-hyeop.

For his first official activity as a candidate, Governor Kim launched the "Relay of Tenacity" campaign. On the afternoon of the same day, he visited "Clean Industry," a manufacturer of volume-based waste bags located in the Dongchuncheon Industrial Complex, to inspect the supply of raw materials in light of the Middle East crisis. He then planned to continue his "Community Center Diary" initiative by holding a meeting with residents at the Haoan 1-ri Village Hall in Hongcheon County and staying there overnight.

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