Jung Cheongrae Begins First Schedule in Honam: "Repaying Sacrifices for Democratization"

On August 3, Democratic Party leader Jung Cheongrae visited the flood recovery site in Naju, South Jeolla Province, and stated, "Under the Jung Cheongrae leadership, I feel we must give something back to the people of Honam for the development of the region."

Jung made these remarks during his first official schedule after being elected party leader at the party convention the previous day, visiting Honam, the party's traditional stronghold, in the morning. At the flood site, Jung referenced President Lee Jaemyung's Memorial Day address, which stated, "Special compensation should be given for special sacrifices made for all," and emphasized, "In line with the Lee Jaemyung administration's philosophy of governance, we must repay the dedication, service, and sacrifice made for democratization."

Jung said, "People often say Honam has made great contributions to the development of democracy in Korea, but a comment from a local government head?'What has the state done for Honam's economic development?'?remains in my heart." He added, "To express my gratitude and apologies to the people of Honam, I wanted to make Honam my first official visit."

During the last presidential election, Jung served as the Democratic Party's "Neighborhood-by-Neighborhood Campaign Chair" in the Honam region, staying in Honam and leading the election campaign. Even during this party convention period, he made several visits to flood-affected areas in Honam, dedicating himself to recovery efforts and paying special attention to the party's core support base.

On this day, Jung said, "We need to work quickly before it gets hotter," and personally removed rotting cucumber stems and waste vinyl from a greenhouse that had been flooded. Supreme Council members Jun Hyunhee, Kim Byungjoo, and Hwang Myungseon, as well as lawmakers Shin Jeonghoon, Seo Samsuk, Jang Kyungtae, Joo Cheolhyeon, Kwon Hyangyeop, Park Kyuntaek, Lee Sungyun, and Han Minsu, also divided into teams to join the recovery work.

Yoon Byungtae, mayor of Naju, stated in a briefing, "Heavy rain in Naju from July 16 to 22 caused approximately 9,230 incidents of damage, amounting to about 14.7 billion won," and appealed, "Please use your influence to help have the area declared a special disaster zone." Jung responded, "The party will always go where the people are suffering, breathe with them, and do our best to communicate their needs to the government."

After completing the flood recovery activities, Jung will hold a closed Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. Earlier, immediately after the party convention, Jung appointed Han Minsu as chief of staff, Kim Younghwan as head of political affairs, and Kwon Hyangyeop as party spokesperson. Regarding the remaining key party appointments, he plans to announce them after consultation with the Supreme Council.