[Local Election Relay Interview] Oh Young-hoon "Increase Jeju Listed Companies from 9 to 20"

Local Election Relay Interview ⑦ Jeju Governor Preliminary Candidate Oh Young-hoon, Democratic Party of Korea

Jeju's Top Export Item 'Semiconductors'
Increasing Cases of Workers Hoping to Relocate
Bio Industry Using Native Plants Also Growing

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Oh Young-hoon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea challenging for the position of Governor of Jeju Province, said in an interview with Asia Economy on the 19th, "If I become governor, I will increase the number of listed companies in Jeju from the current 9 to 20." He plans to transform the industrial structure by attracting semiconductor and bio industries. He also said he would provide good jobs to local Jeju residents to break the stereotype that "public office is the best way to succeed." Regarding the expansion of Jeju Airport, which is key to attracting tourists, he said that capacity expansion is inevitable due to saturation, but he was reserved about seeking solutions related to the construction of the second airport. The following is a Q&A.

Oh Young-hoon, member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

- What is the key to attracting 20 listed companies?

▲ The top export item of Jeju is semiconductors. Semiconductors produced by ‘Jeju Semiconductor’ (a fabless company headquartered in Jeju, ranked 5th worldwide in memory semiconductor design, development, and wafer production) account for more than 50% of Jeju’s exports. There is an increasing number of system semiconductor workers wishing to relocate to Jeju. In particular, a system semiconductor partner company in Taiwan has expressed a desire to move to Jeju. In addition, the bio industry can be revitalized using native plants from Jeju. We are also exploring attracting a university research team currently conducting Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for COVID-19 treatments to Jeju.

- The Jeju 2nd Airport construction issue is a hot topic. How will you resolve it?

▲ It is regrettable that this issue has not been resolved in the past seven years. Problems such as public transportation, insufficient sewage treatment facilities, and landfill limits have also failed to improve the quality of life for Jeju residents. We missed the opportunity to design sustainable development for Jeju. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is currently conducting supplementary work on the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment, so we need to wait and see what evaluation the Ministry of Environment will provide. However, since Jeju Airport is currently saturated, airport expansion is inevitable. Regarding alternatives such as building the second airport or expanding the existing airport, I will gather wisdom to minimize conflicts between supporters and opponents.

- Please explain in detail the 'Jeju 15-minute living zone' proposed in your pledge.

▲ It means enabling residents to enjoy grocery shopping, medical services, and culture within 15 minutes from their homes. In the era of digital transformation and carbon neutrality, it is necessary to change the paradigm of urban planning. Jeju has economic disparities between the north and south and east and west regions based on Hallasan Mountain, so regional balanced development is needed to address this. Therefore, we will establish a 15-minute Jeju master plan for nearby living zones, designate and operate pilot districts, and then expand it throughout Jeju Province.