[6.3 Election] Democratic Party’s Woo Hong-seop Launches Campaign in Wando... Bets on 1 Trillion Won Budget, 10 Million Tourists

Park Ji-won Stresses: "Lee Jae-myung, Min Hyung-bae, Woo Hong-seop, Park Ji-won One Team"

Woo Hong-seop Vows to "Make Wando Bigger, Stronger, and More Prosperous"

Head-to-Head Showdown with Independent Candidate Kim Shin

On the morning of May 21 at 11 a.m., Woo Hong-seop, the Democratic Party of Korea’s candidate for Wando County Governor, held a departure ceremony in front of Wando Central Market, officially launching his campaign.

The event drew a large crowd of supporters, including Park Ji-won, the National Assembly member representing the area, former rivals from the party’s primary, and candidates for both provincial and county council, showcasing the Democratic Party’s formidable organizational strength.

At the departure ceremony that day, Park Ji-won, a member of the National Assembly representing the Haenam, Wando, and Jindo district, appealed for support, saying, "Wando will develop only if President Lee Jae-myung, Special Mayor Min Hyung-bae, Wando County Governor Woo Hong-seop, and Assemblyman Park Ji-won join hands as one team." Photo by Lee Jung-kyung

Assemblyman Park Ji-won lends support... Emphasizes “Lee Jae-myung, Min Hyung-bae, Woo Hong-seop, and Park Ji-won as One Team”

During his campaign speech, Assemblyman Park Ji-won raised his voice, stating, “Wando can only develop if President Lee Jae-myung, Special Mayor Min Hyung-bae, Wando County Governor Woo Hong-seop, and Assemblyman Park Ji-won become one team.” Park highlighted Woo’s credentials, saying, “Candidate Woo Hong-seop, with 40 years of administrative experience, is the one who knows best how to secure national funding and get things done.”

He also pledged to address concrete local issues. Park promised to support: ▲ the preliminary feasibility study for the Geumil~Yaksan Bridge, ▲ the water supply project for Soando, ▲ the attraction of Hanwha tourism facilities, and ▲ the construction of the Bogildo~Moado connecting bridge. He emphasized, “Only if Candidate Woo is elected can I, Park Ji-won, work together with him to accomplish all of these goals.”

He further added, “I will lead a clean and honest county administration that never tolerates nepotism in public servant appointments or corruption in public works.”

Candidate Woo Hong-seop: “Wando Faces Local Extinction—A True Worker Will Revive It”

In his departure speech, candidate Woo Hong-seop described the upcoming June 3 local elections as a turning point for Wando’s future. He pointed out, “Wando is currently facing a crisis of local extinction due to population decline, an aging society, and the outflow of young people. Even the fisheries industry is faltering due to the sharp drop in abalone prices.” He stressed, “We cannot sit idly by and let this happen.”

Woo, who began his public service career in Wando and has more than 30 years of administrative experience, including positions in Sinan County, Jeonnam Provincial Government, and as Deputy Governor of Jindo, appealed for support as “a true worker who understands administration, budgeting, and how to bring about real change.”

He then presented his four major pledges: ▲ launching the era of a 1 trillion won budget for Wando, ▲ attracting 10 million tourists, ▲ fostering the abalone industry and traditional fisheries, and ▲ building daily life infrastructure. He vowed, “Together with all of you, I will make Wando bigger, stronger, and more prosperous.”

On the morning of the 21st, when the official campaign for the June 3 local elections began, the street in front of Wando Central Market in Wando County, Jeonnam, was filled with a blue wave representing the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Lee Jungkyung

Even Primary Rivals Join the ‘One Team’... “Democratic Party vs. Independent” Showdown

At the ceremony, former primary rivals Shin Euijun, Lee Cheol, and Heo Gunghee joined forces to solidify the “One Team” formation. In addition, all Democratic Party candidates in the county, including provincial assembly candidates Park Jaeseon and Jo Inho, and county council candidates Choi Jungwook, Ji Min, Jo Wonseon, Lee Hyunhee, Park Byoungsoo, and Heo Dongjo, turned out in full support.

Meanwhile, the Wando County Governor election has become a head-to-head contest between the Democratic Party’s Woo Hong-seop and independent candidate Kim Shin, making Wando one of the fiercest battlegrounds in the Jeonnam region for the June 3 local elections.

As Woo’s camp, backed by the Democratic Party’s strong organization and Assemblyman Park Ji-won’s leadership, faces off against independent candidate Kim’s grassroots support, local residents are closely watching to see which side will prevail in the final election.

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