[June 3 Election] Kim Gwanyoeng: "I Will Make Jeonbuk a Place That Attracts Young People"

Pledges to Nurture AI Talent and Young CEOs

Support Policies for Women in the "Sandwich Generation" in Their 40s and 50s

Independent candidate Kim Gwanyoeng, running for Governor of Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province in the June 3 local elections, has announced additional pledges focused on resolving the outflow of young people and strengthening support for women and families, continuing his "everyday life-oriented policies." After previously emphasizing large-scale investment attraction, he is now expanding his focus to include youth settlement and care policies, accelerating his efforts to address everyday issues affecting residents.

Independent candidate Kim Gwanyoung for Governor of Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province announced campaign promises in the youth and women's sectors at the briefing room of the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Provincial Council on the 19th. Photo by Noh Junghoon

On the 19th, independent candidate Kim Gwanyoeng announced his policy pledges in the youth and women's sectors at the briefing room of the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Provincial Council, declaring, "I will make Jeonbuk a place that attracts young people, not a place they leave."

Kim presented a plan to foster 10,000 young talents and 1,000 young CEOs in future industries such as artificial intelligence (AI). He intends to build an advanced industrial ecosystem by connecting local universities, companies, and research institutes, while simultaneously strengthening the foundation for youth entrepreneurship.

In particular, he highlighted an AI and semiconductor industry strategy centered around Saemangeum. Kim stated, "We will leverage Saemangeum's renewable energy infrastructure to establish an RE100 industrial hub and create a demonstration belt for advanced industries connecting Jeonju, Wanju, Gunsan, and Gimje."

This aligns with the recent trend among local governments to focus on developing AI, semiconductor, and secondary battery industries as a response to the outflow of young people. In fact, cities such as Busan, Gwangju, and Daejeon are also competitively expanding youth startup funds and creating specialized advanced industrial complexes.

Kim also proposed youth housing policies to reduce the initial settlement burden by providing monthly rent and lease deposit support and linking with public rental housing, as well as helping young people build assets through the "Reliable Asset Double-Up Project."

Jeonbuk has recently seen a continuing decline in its youth population, raising concerns about the risk of regional extinction. According to Statistics Korea, Jeonbuk has experienced a net outflow of young people every year, with employment and housing issues cited as the main causes. Kim's strategy is to reverse this population outflow by simultaneously improving job opportunities and settlement conditions.

During the policy announcement, Kim also drew attention by unveiling support policies for the so-called "4050 sandwich generation" in the women and family sector.

Kim promised, "To ease the burden on the middle-aged who are simultaneously caring for aging parents and children, a dedicated team will be established within the provincial government to provide integrated management of care, nursing, reemployment, health insurance premiums, and livelihood support."

He also announced plans to increase the number of urban-type public postpartum care centers and to create nature-friendly "forest postpartum care centers" to reduce user costs, thereby expanding public access to postpartum care. In addition, he announced pledges including an integrated support system spanning from infertility treatment to childcare, a 24-hour child care service, expanded security facilities for single-women households, and the creation of a women's startup growth fund.

Kim emphasized, "Jeonbuk is now entering a golden era of economic leap for the first time in 100 years. We must not miss this golden opportunity," and stressed, "We need a governor who can quickly implement policies with a pragmatic perspective, proven ability, and strong drive."

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