[Local Election Interview] Park Hyungjun: "Busan Is No Longer a 'Conservative Stronghold'... Will Defend the Nakdong River Front Line"

Assessing Shifts in Busan's Public Sentiment:
"An Era That Values Achievements Over Ideology"

"Busan at a Crossroads for Global City Status"
Emphasizing Policy Continuity

Pledging the 'Complex Income' Project for Youth Asset-Building

Stressing Conservative Unity Amid Buk-gu Gap By-election

"Busan is no longer the 'conservative stronghold' it once was."

On May 19, Park Hyungjun, the People Power Party candidate for mayor of Busan who is seeking his third term, shared this assessment of Busan's public sentiment in an interview with The Asia Business Daily. He stated that Busan is now becoming more of a "swing city with relatively strong conservative tendencies." He analyzed that the era when a particular party's dominance was taken for granted due to ideological divides has passed, and from now on, the side that demonstrates achievements and competitiveness will earn the citizens' support.

Park Hyungjun, the People's Power Party candidate for Busan mayor. Provided by Park Hyungjun's campaign.

Park attributed special meaning to his past five years in office, describing them as "a period of transforming Busan's fundamentals." He highlighted key achievements such as expanding investments, surpassing one million regular workers, and attracting a record number of foreign tourists, explaining that "Busan has laid the foundation to leap forward as a global city."

He assessed the current situation as Busan standing at "a crossroads: Will it advance to become a global city, or come to a halt?" He argued, "Now is the time to complete the achievements thus far through uninterrupted development." He emphasized the importance of policy continuity, saying, "If you change the destination, the navigation, and even the driver at a point where only the final leg remains, all progress made so far will be lost."

In particular, Park has made the 'Complex Income' project his first campaign pledge, focusing on addressing the outflow of young people from Busan. This project is a program designed to help young Busan residents accumulate substantial assets by adding city subsidies and profits from public infrastructure development to their long-term savings. He explained, "This is a way to share the fruits of urban development with future generations," and added, "The issue of youth outflow must be addressed in conjunction with jobs, housing, mobility, and asset-building."

Additionally, Park framed the upcoming Busan election as not just a local election but "the front line in defending democracy." He stated, "The Democratic Party is pushing the Republic of Korea's democracy into crisis by pursuing judicial reform and now advancing the president's 'self-pardon special investigation'," vowing, "Together with Busan citizens, I will defend the Nakdong River front line and protect democracy."

He cited the division within the conservative bloc due to the martial law and impeachment process, as well as subsequent internal turmoil in the People Power Party, as factors behind the recent shift in Busan's public sentiment. "When I meet with citizens, I often hear, 'The conservatives must not be divided,'" he said, noting, "With Busan emerging as one of the fiercest battlegrounds alongside Seoul in this election, conservative unity is more crucial than ever."

He also noted that concerns about divisions within the conservative camp are growing, especially as the by-election in Buk-gu Gap, Busan approaches. Regarding his recent attendance at the campaign office opening of Park Minshik, another People Power Party candidate, he explained, "Helping a fellow party candidate is natural," adding, "Even before attending, I have consistently emphasized the importance of both conservative and civic unity."

Park Hyungjun, the People Power Party candidate for Busan mayor. Photo courtesy of Park Hyungjun’s campaign.

The following is a Q&A with candidate Park.

-What are your achievements over the past five years as mayor?

▲ Over the past five years, I have been driving fundamental change in Busan with the goal of making it a 'global hub city' and 'a city you would want to live in even if you were born again.' The amount of attracted investment has increased 28-fold compared to the previous mayor, and the number of regular workers will, for the first time in history, exceed one million in 2025. The number of foreign tourists has also reached an all-time high, reflecting changes across tourism, industry, and overall urban competitiveness. Notably, Busan has entered the top 8 of the Smart Center Index worldwide, and citizens' life satisfaction has risen, laying the groundwork for Busan to go beyond a domestic hub city to become a global city. In this election, I am also emphasizing the slogan "Now, a Global City," highlighting the need for uninterrupted development and strengthened urban competitiveness.

-Why should you be mayor of Busan again?

▲ Busan now stands at a crucial crossroads: will it move forward to become a global city, or will it stop here? Over the past five years, I have laid the cornerstone for Busan's future across all sectors of municipal administration. Now is the time to connect and complete these achievements. Changing the destination, the navigation, and even the driver at this point would nullify all the progress made so far. Busan cannot afford to stop now. If we retreat here, the city will fall back into stagnation under the dominance of the Seoul metropolitan area. Busan's leap to a global city can only be realized by continuously building on the progress achieved so far.

-How do you read the recent public sentiment in Busan?

▲ I believe Busan is no longer a 'conservative stronghold' with predetermined results as in the past, but is now closer to a 'swing city with relatively strong conservative leanings.' Therefore, the election is no longer about one party's dominance. The party that achieves significant results will win, and the party that commits major failures will lose.

Previously, the People Power Party lost support due to the martial law and impeachment process and internal turmoil, but recently, in Busan, the gap in approval ratings has narrowed thanks to candidate unification and highlighting administrative achievements. Added to this are various controversies surrounding the Democratic Party candidate and public backlash to the ruling party's recent 'special investigation bill to drop indictments.' Ultimately, the important thing is not the image of a 'conservative stronghold' from the past, but proving who has the vision, experience, and ability to lead Busan to become a global city.

-What standards do you hope citizens will use to judge candidates in this election?

▲ I hope voters will focus on the candidate's abilities, integrity, and commitment to defending democracy. In terms of capacity, I have been recognized for my diverse experience as a professor, civic activist, National Assemblyman, Blue House senior secretary, secretary general of the National Assembly, and mayor of Busan. I believe I have an advantage over my competitors in integrity and transparency. My opponent, Jeon Jae-soo of the Democratic Party, is not fully free from allegations related to the Unification Church. Finally, I hope voters will consider whether the candidate has the will to defend democracy in times of crisis. Korean democracy is now facing a fundamental crisis due to the Lee Jaemyung administration's judicial reform and the president's push for a self-pardon special investigation bill. I will defend the Nakdong River front line and protect the democracy of the Republic of Korea together with the citizens of Busan.

-Compared to Jeon Jae-soo, what is your unique strength?

▲ My "power of thought" is different. This is not simply about the amount of knowledge, but a comprehensive capability built from vision, experience, insight, and discernment. Over the past 30 years, I have developed this capability through various roles, including professor, civic activist, National Assemblyman, Blue House senior secretary, and TV debate panelist. Another strength is my international perspective and expertise. As a scholar, I participated in formulating globalization and informatization policies for the Kim Young Sam administration, and during the Expo bid process, I built global sensibilities by interacting with leaders from cities around the world.

-What do citizens most often say to you during the campaign?

▲ Many citizens are surprised to see me with a shaved head, but when I explain it was because of the Special Act on the Global Hub City, they all nod in understanding. Even if they do not know the details of the bill, they recognize it as an important law for Busan's development. I also often hear, "The conservatives must not be divided." With the by-election for National Assemblyman in Buk-gu Gap, Busan, the election has attracted national attention. Although I am calling for both conservative and civic unity, it seems that citizens who support the conservatives also want to see unity and a broader centrist coalition.

-Some say the Buk-gu Gap by-election in Busan is essentially a contest for dominance within the conservative bloc. Can you explain the background of your recent attendance at Park Minshik's campaign office opening?

▲ I am a politician belonging to the People Power Party. Attending the campaign office opening of a fellow party candidate is natural and expected. However, even before attending, I have consistently emphasized on social media the importance of both conservative and civic unity for victory in the election.

-What are your solutions for simultaneously addressing Busan's aging population and youth outflow?

▲ Ultimately, the key is to give young people a reason to stay in Busan. Simply increasing the number of jobs is not enough. We need to address issues of employment, housing, mobility, and asset-building together. Along with nurturing Busan's future industries, we are also promoting housing support, transportation innovation, and improvements in living infrastructure. In particular, it is essential to provide young people with a ladder for building their assets and planning their future. Since the youth outflow from regional areas is directly linked to the dominance of the Seoul metropolitan area, implementing an effective national balanced development strategy is the fundamental solution.

-Can you explain your first pledge, the 'Complex Income' policy, regarding youth asset-building?

▲ The core of the Complex Income pledge is to connect the fruits of Busan's growth to asset-building for future generations. If a young person from Busan saves KRW 250,000 per month for 10 years, their total savings will be about KRW 30 million. On top of this, with matching support from Busan City and long-term returns from the 'Busan Future Fund,' the goal is to help them build assets of at least KRW 100 million. The 'Busan Future Fund' is especially important here; rather than simple tax support, it is funded by recouping a portion of excess development profits from public infrastructure projects such as North Harbor redevelopment, station area development, and new airport hinterland development. This policy is not about simply handing out cash. Its significance lies in the structure of returning part of the city's development gains to the younger generation.

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