Joo-eop Kim, Progressive Party Candidate for Gwangju Mayor, Announces '5 Shining Promises'

Kim Ju-eop, the Progressive Party candidate for mayor of Gwangju, is announcing five major pledges at the Gwangju Metropolitan Council on the morning of the 21st.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Junho] Kim Ju-eop, the Progressive Party candidate for mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, announced key pledges on the 21st, including the abolition of the military airport.

On the morning of the same day, at the Gwangju Metropolitan City Council Citizen Communication Office, Candidate Kim stated, “Currently, Gwangju lacks a vision for the future and is losing hope and light,” and presented five pledges, saying, “I will implement resident-centered administration rather than mayor-centered or district mayor-centered.”

He proposed a blueprint including ▲ a shining ecological city ▲ a progressive and labor city ▲ a future city ▲ a city of culture and arts ▲ a youthful (young) city.

Candidate Kim emphasized, “The current issue of Gwangju military airport will be abolished and the civilian airport will be relocated to Muan,” and “On the airport site, in response to the AI era, we will create a new model of a new town that pursues a new future with new technologies, an ecological city, eco-friendliness, free medical care, free housing, and the realization of labor values.”

He continued, “We will relocate Gwangju Station and transform the railway into a green path, restore all covered streams into ecological streams to create a clear Gwangju free of fine dust, convert to 100% renewable energy by 2050, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% from the 2018 baseline by 2025.”

He also brought up job pledges. He said, “Gwangju City spends a huge annual job budget of 1.2 trillion won, but the jobs created are minimal,” and declared, “The mayor of Gwangju and the city hall will directly create 30,000 jobs with an annual salary of 40 million won.”

He added, “We will establish a labor vice mayor position so that workers can have authority to directly create a labor city and solve their own issues as stakeholders through institutional measures.”

Furthermore, he said, “We will set up a new 100-year special committee directly under the mayor to design, prepare, and build Gwangju’s future,” and emphasized, “Many candidates talk about attracting AI direct complexes in the AI era, but it is necessary for the administration to proactively prepare for various changes that will come to the people after the AI era.”

In addition, he pledged to expand support for the Culture Nuri Card, provide a basic monthly allowance for artists’ creative activities, offer youth housing with a monthly rent of 100,000 won, and establish a youth stress center.