[June 3 Election] Former Dong District Mayor Seonghwan Kim Announces Candidacy: "Leading Change in a Stagnant Dong District"

Former Dong District Office Mayor Seonghwan Kim officially announced his candidacy for the Dong District Office Mayor election as the candidate of the Party for National Innovation, and proposed an "unlimited public debate" to Lim Taek, the Dong District Office Mayor candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea who is seeking a third term, for a comparative verification of their respective administrative achievements. With this, the election for Dong District Office Mayor is shaping up as a full-fledged rematch between the former and current mayors.

On the morning of April 27, preliminary candidate Kim held a press conference in the briefing room of the Gwangju City Council and officially declared his bid for Dong District Office Mayor. He stated, "For the past eight years, Dong District has stagnated and fallen into a long slumber," adding, "With a lack of convenient facilities and stagnation in urban development, the need for change is more urgent than ever."

He further said, "At this rate, after the opening of the era of complex shopping malls in 2028, the original downtown Dong District commercial area is highly likely to suffer the most damage," making clear his opposition to Lim Taek's bid for a third term as mayor.

Kim Seonghwan, preliminary candidate for Dong-gu Mayor from the Democratic Innovation Party, officially announced his candidacy for Dong-gu Mayor at the briefing room of Gwangju City Council on the 27th. Photo by Song Bohyun

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Kim presented his mid- to long-term "Top 10 Key Pledges" as the direction for district development. He plans to create a differentiated commercial district that leverages historical and cultural assets by establishing a retro and newtro-themed specialized town in the Chungjang-ro city center. He also pledged to secure more than 1,000 parking spaces, aiming to make Dong District a place with convenient parking. Additional plans include introducing an affordable parking membership system and supporting free parking vouchers for private parking lots in commercial areas.

He also unveiled plans to strengthen the tourism base, such as revitalizing the areas around the Pureungil Park and considering the installation of a cable car on Mudeungsan Mountain. Regarding Mudeungsan, he proposed highlighting the value of the national park adjacent to the city center through various means, including hot air balloons and drones. In addition, his main pledges include: revitalizing online-based commercial districts; promoting the creation of an 18-hole park golf course; strengthening childcare and educational support; expanding support for residential environments in both old and new apartment complexes; expanding customized support for each generation, including youth, women, seniors, people with disabilities, and single-person households; and establishing an artificial intelligence-based regional development platform.

Kim also proposed an "unlimited public debate" to compare and verify his own achievements during his two years in office with those of Lim Taek's eight years as mayor. He said, "In an election to choose a local government head, we should look beyond party affiliation and instead consider who is truly capable of doing the job," adding, "I respectfully request this for the sake of the residents' choice."

Regarding his decision to run as the candidate for the Party for National Innovation, Kim explained, "Since returning to the Democratic Party is not easy, I deliberated between running as an independent or as the candidate of the Party for National Innovation, and ultimately chose the latter." He continued, "The Party for National Innovation shares similar political values with the Democratic Party, and there is a possibility that the relationship between the two parties may change in the future. Having the Party for National Innovation take charge of one of the five district offices in Gwangju could create a political landscape that also benefits the Democratic Party."

Born in Boseong, preliminary candidate Kim passed the National Civil Service Examination and worked for about 20 years in central government administration, including at the Office of the President and the Office of the Prime Minister. He previously served as Senior Administrative Officer in the Office of the Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs under the Roh Moo-hyun administration, as secretary to the Prime Minister, and as president of Gwangju Environmental Corporation. He holds a master's degree in public administration from Seoul National University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in political science at the University of Sheffield in the UK.

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