Yoon President-Elect's Key Regional Pledges Selected as TF-Type Special Tasks... Managing Public Sentiment Ahead of Local Elections
[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] The Presidential Transition Committee (PTC) is preparing to separately report to President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol on the Saemangeum development roadmap, which is currently under discussion for balanced national development. Saemangeum development was a key regional pledge made by President-elect Yoon and has been selected as a special task force (TF) project within the PTC. Political circles interpret this move as an effort to appease public sentiment in Honam ahead of local elections.
According to the PTC and political sources on the 19th, the PTC’s Special Committee on Regional Balanced Development plans to deliver comprehensive review opinions on the mid- to long-term national balanced development plan to President-elect Yoon on the 25th, and separately report on the Saemangeum development project. A PTC official stated, "This will be an opportunity to propose ideas that have been discussed so far, including practical plans for regional development included in the pledges, private investment methods, and tax-related support measures such as local taxes." He added, "Since Saemangeum is the biggest issue in Jeonbuk and a core axis of national balanced development, a separate time will be arranged to explain the development roadmap."
Earlier, during his presidential campaign, President-elect Yoon promised, "It is no exaggeration to say that Jeonbuk’s future depends on Saemangeum," and pledged to carefully manage various regional issues starting with Saemangeum. He views Saemangeum as the lifeline of Jeonbuk and South Korea’s foremost future growth engine, and established a Saemangeum special committee within his campaign headquarters.
He appointed Rep. Jung Woon-cheon of the People Power Party as the standing chairman of the Saemangeum Special Committee, preparing a more detailed roadmap than other regional development plans. The construction of a mega-city centered on Saemangeum, Jeonbuk’s biggest issue, is a representative example. The plan includes operating the Saemangeum Special Committee directly under the president, early groundbreaking of Saemangeum International Airport, and building core infrastructure such as roads, railways, and industries. The goal is to integrate Gunsan, Gimje, and Buan into the Saemangeum mega-city.
Political circles view this as a message that President-elect Yoon and the PTC are directly addressing Honam public sentiment ahead of local elections. In the last presidential election, Yoon’s vote share in Honam was in the low teens, the highest ever for a conservative candidate from the People Power Party, but it fell far short of the pledged 30% vote share.
President-elect Yoon’s visits starting on the 20th to Honam areas including Saemangeum and Jeonju Innovation City are in the same context. Since his candidacy, Yoon has sent handwritten letters to every household in Gwangju, Jeonnam, and Jeonbuk, presenting the most significant Honam development plan among conservative governments. After the PTC’s launch, efforts continued, including discussions to elevate the Special Committee on Regional Balanced Development to a vice-premier level organization in the next government.
Expectations within the PTC for Saemangeum development are high. Although the project was confirmed as a government initiative in 1991 and has been progressing sequentially for 30 years, the seawall construction is still ongoing, and conflicts with local governments adjacent to the Saemangeum area persist. This is the first time the project has been selected as a national agenda item by any government.
The special committee plans to present to President-elect Yoon not only detailed implementation plans for the pledges but also concrete measures to activate private investment. Having already invested about 10 trillion won in national funds, the focus is now shifting to attracting private capital. In particular, tax support measures such as local taxes and financial incentives are likely to be proposed. A representative from President-elect Yoon’s side explained, "Support measures to attract advanced industries and financial industries are also being prepared."
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