Launch of Honam Headquarters for the "Breaking Old Entrenched Politics" Sympathy Forum

Jung Junho Standing Representative: "We Will Realize Values Centered on Region, Policy, and People"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Ahead of next year's presidential and local elections, a policy-centered civic organization aimed at discovering regional issues and finding alternatives has been launched in Gwangju.

The Honam Headquarters of the Sympathy Forum announced that on the 29th, following the official launch of the "Dialogue to Change the World, Sympathy Forum" on the 3rd of last month, it held the Honam Headquarters Founders' Meeting with over 300 founding members.

The Sympathy Forum elected three young and reform-minded figures?Oh Seung-yong, Song Kang, and Min Seo-rin?as co-representatives, declaring their intention to "prepare next-generation politics for the delayed power transition in Korean politics."

Attorney Jung Jun-ho was appointed as the standing representative, while Jang Young-hee, Central Women's Chairperson of the Korea Forest Love Federation, Professor Kim Deok-mo of Honam University’s Department of Journalism and Broadcasting, and Kim Jong-hoon, Director of the Eoullim Center for Independent Living for the Disabled, were appointed as co-representatives.

Ha Hee-seop, former chairman of the Gwangju Bank Labor Union, was appointed as the operations committee chair; Kim Dae-won, former aide to a member of the National Assembly, as the organization committee chair; Kim Sung-chan, former candidate for Hampyeong County governor, as the policy committee chair; and Kwon Min-young, former president of the Chonnam National University student council, as the 2030 Generation Sympathy Committee chair.

They plan to carry out dynamic and differentiated activities to solve sectoral problems in the 70s, 80s, and 90s generations, youth, legal, economic, women’s, labor, and education sectors to overcome the crisis in Honam after local extinction and COVID-19.

Oh Seung-yong, co-representative of the Sympathy Forum (former CEO of Think Tank Mirae), said, "The group, which started with a forum diagnosing the future of Honam in April last year, has officially emerged as the second political organization after Seoul in just two years. We expect Honam to play a leading role in expanding national consensus as an alternative force focused on agenda discovery and policy-centered active discussions and diverse communication centered on the future of Korea and Honam, concentrating on issues directly related to the lives of the people."

Standing representative Jung Jun-ho emphasized in his inaugural speech that Gwangju must take a leading role for the future of Korea.

Jung said, "If Gwangju was the essence of Korean democracy, I hope that in 10, 20, or 30 years, Gwangju will be the vanguard that discovers future growth engines and national policies for Korea’s future. To solve regional problems facing extinction due to rapid population decline and job issues, the old ideological keys cannot open the door to the future," he began.

He continued, "The birth of the Sympathy Forum Honam Headquarters aims to be an alternative force differentiated from the old vested political powers that extend their political life through factional politics, frame wars, and hostile symbiotic relationships. To lead Korea’s future, we will put region first, policy first, and people first at the center, and take the lead in realizing practical values beyond old ideologies and vested interests through inclusive leadership that communicates and empathizes with the people and regions," expressing his aspirations.

Meanwhile, at the event, former Democratic Party Supreme Council member Kim Hae-young and Jo Jung-hoon, a member of the National Assembly and leader of the Transition Korea party, sent video congratulatory messages to encourage the gathering. Additionally, about 200 forum founders and members, including Song Kang, co-representative of the Sympathy Forum; Kang Seung-gyu, operations committee chair and former senior vice chairman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Ko Yeon-ho and Baek Geum-san, co-representatives of the Sympathy Forum Seoul; Yoo Jeong-gi, co-representative of the Sympathy Forum Busan; and Kim Min-jung, co-representative of the Sympathy Forum Jeonbuk, gathered to reaffirm their commitment.