[6.3 Election] Amid Cheers from Supporters, Kim Shin Launches Fourth Bid for Wando County Governor

Passionate Crowd at the Seaweed Center

Supporters' Cheers Heat Up the Launch Event

Solid Public Support in Wando-eup

A Strong Foundation Built Through Four Attempts

Abalone, Seaweed, and Tourism

"I Will Revive Wando's Collapsed Economy"

Candidate number 5, Kim Shin, an independent candidate for Wando County Governor, held a departure ceremony on May 21, the first official day of the election campaign, and officially entered the race for his fourth attempt at the governorship.

At 11 a.m. that day, Kim held the departure ceremony in front of the Wando Seaweed Center, drawing a large crowd of supporters and local residents as he began his efforts to win votes. The venue was filled with enthusiastic supporters chanting Kim's name, with slogans expressing a desire for change echoing throughout the event.

Kim Shin, an independent candidate for Wando County Governor, held a kickoff rally on the 21st, officially entering the race. Photo by Lee Jungkyung

At the ceremony, Kim highlighted the core theme, "Interests or conscience," pledging, "I will demonstrate politics based on honesty and dedication." He fired up the crowd by leading the chant, "We can't go on like this—let's make a change," amplifying the public's yearning for transformation.

A veteran in labor and civil activism... Confidence built on nine years of legislative experience

Kim emphasized his readiness as a candidate by sharing his intense youth and track record of local community engagement.

He recalled his time in his twenties, working for five years at Korea Heavy Industries in Changwon, Gyeongnam, where he led some 10,000 workers at the forefront of the democratic labor movement. He stressed, "I have worked with a spirit of self-sacrifice, not for individual gain but for the community."

After returning to his hometown of Wando, Kim served as President of the Jeonnam District Junior Chamber (JC) and took the lead in civic society movements such as the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and the Citizens' Solidarity, playing a key role in ensuring healthy checks and balances within the region.

Supporters appealed to voters to support candidate Shin Kim, who has built a solid support base through four military procurement challenges. Photo by Joongyong Lee

In particular, as a veteran politician who served as a member of the 8th and 9th Wando County Council, Kim used the analogy, "A person who makes good Jajangmyeon can also make good Udon," expressing strong confidence that, having carried out nine years of honest and proven legislative work, he can perform the role of county governor more successfully than anyone else.

"Politics is action": Commitment to a concrete roadmap to revive Wando's struggling economy

Kim also presented concrete policy directions to revive the Wando regional economy, which is currently in crisis.

He vowed, "I will restore the abalone industry and other fisheries, such as seaweed, which are now collapsing," and further pledged, "I will revive the disintegrating tourism industry, thereby revitalizing the stagnant local economy and commerce." Additionally, he named "creating an educational environment" and "overcoming the local crisis" as key tasks for Wando's future.

Regarding his political convictions, he stated, "I've often heard advice like 'Fish can't live in clear water' and 'If you're too strong, you'll break,' but my honest and upright mindset from my youth remains unchanged. Politics should be shown through actions, not words," he emphasized.

The departure ceremony was filled with the enthusiasm of supporters chanting Candidate Kim's name, accompanied by slogans yearning for change. Photo by Lee Jungkyung

Having built a solid support base centered around Wando-eup through four attempts at the governorship, Kim appealed for overwhelming support at the ceremony, saying, "Please unite your strength behind the prepared candidate, Kim Shin."

As he is running as an independent without the backing of a large party organization, the key issue in this election is whether his platform of "honesty and conscience" will translate into actual votes.

Ultimately, amid the local crisis of stagnation in the fisheries and tourism industries, public attention is focused on whether the people of Wando—yearning for change—will opt for his "nine years of proven legislative experience" and "principled politics" over the traditional power of party organizations.

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