[June 3 Election] Candidate Jinwoo Park: "Limits to Major Party Change... Delivering Practical, Everyday Politics"

Running in Dong-gu A as a Young Candidate from a Minor Party
Advocating 'Practical Politics' to Solve Residents' Problems
Pledges Include Daein Market Night Market and 24-Hour Children's Hospital
"I Will Provide Checks and Balances Unlike Major Parties"

Gwangju is often called the symbol of democracy in South Korea. However, in local politics, there have been persistent criticisms that the dominance of a single political party over a long period has weakened competition and checks and balances. Many also point out that, amid repeated ideological confrontations in the political arena, tangible improvements in residents' daily lives have been slow to materialize.

(From left) Jinwoo Park, the candidate of the Reform New Party from Gwangju Dong-gu A constituency, and Haram Chun, member of the National Assembly, are campaigning in Sansudong, Gwangju Dong-gu. Photo provided by the Jinwoo Park campaign team

In this context, a young politician has stepped up in Gwangju Dong-gu, championing the slogan "Livelihood over ideology, the future over the past." The candidate is Jinwoo Park (32) from the Reform Party, running in the Dong-gu A electoral district.

Candidate Park is a young politician who entered local politics after eight years working at an advertising company, during which he became deeply familiar with neighborhoods throughout the area. Introducing himself as a "practical politician who solves residents' inconveniences through hands-on solutions," he is meeting local residents face-to-face as he visits every corner of Dong-gu.

His key message is that "politics is not about repeating the past, but about changing the present and future for residents."

Park says he became acutely aware of the problems with politics focused on repeated ideological clashes and emotional appeals during the campaign process. He emphasized, "Local council members are not proxies for national politics, but field administrators who solve residents' problems up close," and added, "The essence of local politics is to address issues such as a single streetlight in an alley, the worries of parents raising children, and the difficulties faced by small business owners."

Why did you join the Reform Party, a minor party in Gwangju?

Park's path into politics is also noteworthy. He began his political activities as a youth in the traditional conservative camp, but explained that he felt the limitations of achieving real change within the two-party system. As for why he joined the Reform Party, he stated, "I wanted to be evaluated based on data and practicality rather than ideology, and through action rather than words."

Park's campaign pledges also focus more on practical, everyday policies than on grand political discourse.

One of his main pledges is the "Daein Market-Dongmyeong-dong Weekend Night Market Project." The idea is to connect the vibrant youth population of Dongmyeong-dong with Daein Market to revitalize the old downtown commercial area. By integrating weekend night cultural content and food businesses, he aims to attract both tourists and young consumers, and to boost the competitiveness of local businesses through digital promotion and online marketing.

Another key pledge is to attract a "24-hour public night-time children's hospital in Gyerim-dong." The aim is to address the current situation where parents must go to emergency rooms in other districts if their child falls ill late at night. Park said, "This is one of the most urgent issues felt by parents raising children," and stressed, "We need to establish a public medical system in Dong-gu that allows parents to access night-time medical care with peace of mind."

He also mentioned that his on-the-ground campaigning has increased his contact with residents.

Park stated, "When residents tell me, 'It's tough for a young person like you,' and shake my hand, I feel a great sense of responsibility," adding, "I can sense that citizens are beginning to choose clean and competent individuals over major party banners."

He went on to say, "In a structure monopolized by a single party for a long time, tension and checks inevitably weaken," and emphasized, "I will play a healthy role in maintaining checks and balances within the Dong-gu Council and demonstrate practical politics that truly benefit residents' lives."

He added, "Rather than being judged by outdated ideological politics, I want to be evaluated as a council member who revitalizes the local economy and solves everyday issues," and expressed his desire "to prove that politics can be a tool to change citizens' lives."

Why are you running again after the 2022 election?

Jinwoo Park also ran in the Dong-gu A electoral district in 2022, but was not elected. He reflected on that campaign as "a challenge undertaken with only youthful spirit and passion, dreaming of change in Gwangju's politics."

Even after the defeat, he did not leave Dong-gu, instead continuing to observe and engage with local residents. He realized firsthand that the true essence of politics lies not in grand ideologies or slogans, but in resolving residents' inconveniences and livelihood issues.

Park emphasized, "Because Gwangju's local politics has operated under the dominance of a single party for so long, its functions of checks and balances have been undermined," and added, "Livelihood issues closely linked to residents' lives have been sidelined in the two-party dominated political system. Practical, everyday policies are needed to change residents' lives."

He continued, "It is not an easy challenge, but someone needs to break the monopoly for Gwangju politics to progress," and expressed his ambition to "become a politician evaluated not by outdated ideology, but by tangible achievements in improving residents' livelihoods and revitalizing the local economy."

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