[Interview] Kang Yong-seok "If unification can't win, there's no reason to do it"... Is he making a bold move?

"If an independent candidate records over 10% of the vote, it will be a new hope for the right-wing"
"We will judge not only understanding of policies and pledges but also the will and ability to implement them"

Independent candidate for Gyeonggi Province Governor Kang Yong-seok expressed his reasons for running in the June 1 local elections, his policy pledges, and his stance on the unification proposal with People Power Party candidate Kim Eun-hye in an interview with this newspaper. [Photo by Ra Young-cheol]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Kang Yong-seok, an independent candidate for Gyeonggi Province governor, is recognized as a 6.1 local election issue maker who is shaking up the political world and the election scene day after day. He is being strongly criticized publicly not only by the progressive camp but even by the People Power Party. Recently, the People Power Party rejected his application for reinstatement. Some have disparagingly called him the 'King of Lawsuits.'

However, as a politician, he has a strong fandom with a support base that many envy. His supporters praise Kang Yong-seok as a "true conservative right-wing." Especially ahead of the local elections, when his reinstatement was denied, his supporters raised 1.7 billion won in donations within about 10 hours, strongly urging him to run as an independent.

Kang declared his candidacy for the Gyeonggi governor election saying, "I came out representing the conservative right-wing." He added, "If I record more than 10% of the vote as an independent, it can be a new hope for conservatives," showing ambitious determination. He has proposed unification with People Power Party candidate Kim Eun-hye and is awaiting her response.

He is also praised for his courage and conviction without hesitation and his charm in persuading the public comparable to a professional broadcaster. After the 21st general election, he raised suspicions of election fraud, leading to a recount in some constituencies. During the 20th presidential election, he operated an election fraud monitoring team, gaining national attention and support. Recently, he even shaved his head in protest against the 'complete prosecution reform' amendment.

Graduated from Gyeonggi High School and Seoul National University Law School, and later Harvard Law School, he once participated in the civic group People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, advocating for chaebol reform and small shareholder movements. After working in Lee Myung-bak's presidential campaign, he was nominated by the Grand National Party in the 18th general election and elected as a member of the National Assembly.

After being expelled in 2010 for derogatory remarks about announcers, he failed to be reinstated and currently serves as the head lawyer of a law firm and director of the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute.

Kang announced pledges such as 'Abolishing mandatory closure of large marts,' 'Deregulation and safety enhancement to revitalize tourism,' 'Raising speed limits for vehicles,' 'Limiting the total number of traffic enforcement CCTV,' and 'Installing traffic lights that display remaining time for vehicles.'

Accordingly, this publication met with candidate Kang Yong-seok to hear about his background and aspirations to fulfill the right to know of Gyeonggi residents. [Editor's note]

- What are the top priority issues for the northern and southern parts of Gyeonggi Province?

"The income gap among the 31 local governments in Gyeonggi Province is very serious. Therefore, the idea of dividing the province continues to be proposed as a solution for the neglected northern region. However, the problem with the division theory is that the wealthy southern Gyeonggi resources cannot be transferred to northern Gyeonggi due to division. Rather than hastily pushing for division, I will boldly propose easing or abolishing regulations on northern Gyeonggi to revitalize its economy. If the water intake source is moved north of Cheongpyeong Dam, the water source protection zones will be greatly reduced. I will boldly relax these to utilize the areas around the Bukhan River, Namhan River, and Han River as waterfront spaces where Gyeonggi residents can come and relax. By boldly lifting the overlapping regulations in northern Gyeonggi, I plan to make the development of northern Gyeonggi visible as a leading force in 21st-century Korea's progress."

- You emphasized deregulation. It seems there are limits to what a governor can do.

"Fundamentally, the most important thing is the governor's will. The old infantry-style security concepts need to be viewed differently now. Fortunately, the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's creed is deregulation. Gyeonggi Province has a natural geographical advantage. If overlapping regulations are boldly lifted, companies can create jobs on their own. Helping citizens prosper also depends on companies' creativity and citizens' voluntary participation. I will push for deregulation to develop northern Gyeonggi and compensate for decades of neglect. Having worked as a lawyer and practically in development projects for a long time, I know the problems of regulations very well. I know in my head how touching certain areas will lead to what kind of investment and how it will proceed. Trust me and vote for Kang Yong-seok. I am confident a new Gyeonggi Province will unfold."

- If you become governor, which pledge will you definitely fulfill during your term?

"Regarding transportation issues, I will make various public transportation options comfortably accessible to residents. About 1.5 million Gyeonggi residents commute or attend school in Seoul, which is more than one-tenth of the province's population. I will solve the hardship of residents who have to leave early due to public transportation schedules by extending subway operating hours. Also, I will organize late-night tourist bus routes from midnight to 5 a.m. at reasonable fares to prevent the inconvenience of catching taxis late at night. This is a policy that can be implemented immediately without much budget to promptly solve residents' difficulties."

- How do you evaluate the past four years of Gyeonggi Province administration?

"Lee Jae-myung's four years can be compared to a student who has many things to do but only thinks about playing around. The economic growth rate of Gyeonggi Province was about 4-5% until 2017 but dropped to zero percent in 2020. This decline in economic growth rate indicates that the local government of Gyeonggi Province was not properly managed. It's not about policies that just pump out cash. They only focused on increasing personnel unnecessarily. Before Governor Lee Jae-myung, the Gyeonggi Development Corporation had about 400 employees, but during his four years, nearly 300 more were added, filling positions with his close aides. Despite advocating GTX for over a decade, only 30% of Line A has progressed, and Lines B and C have not even started construction. They predict completion by 2040, but it's uncertain if that will happen. How long will they keep dreaming about GTX? If I am elected, I will mobilize government, Seoul city, and private budgets to promptly complete Line A and start construction on Lines B and C."

- How do you see the election landscape for Gyeonggi governor?

"The two major parties are currently neck and neck. In the last presidential election, Lee Jae-myung won by about 5%, showing that Gyeonggi is not an easy region for the People Power Party or right-wing parties. However, changes may occur depending on how the Yoon Seok-yeol administration performs during the remaining election period. Recently, I have almost perfectly secured double-digit support rates, so voters should pay attention during the remaining election process."

- The election is expected to be tough against major parties. What is your competitive edge?

"In my view, Gyeonggi Province administration is somewhat different from central administration. It is the flower of local administration. It is the largest metropolitan local government with a population of 14 million. Candidate Kim Dong-yeon has experience in economic departments and seems to have dealt with taxation and finance, but he seems to know very little about real estate. The governor of Gyeonggi Province needs a deep understanding of real estate administration. I think this can be verified in TV debates. He also seems poor at debating. He confused district unit plans, national land use plans, provincial/city/county plans, urban green spaces, and residential area concepts during debates. It felt like he had no concept of real estate at all. Candidate Kim Eun-hye seems unaware of what a governor can or cannot do, giving the impression of an unprepared candidate. I will say no more."

- What variables remain ahead?

"We need to keep watching the trends in public opinion polls, but the important thing is unification. I have never said I would never unify. Rather, it was candidate Kim Eun-hye's side that refused unification. If it looks like I am confident of winning regardless of unification, I will go all the way. Let's see who gets how many votes. If unification cannot lead to victory, there is no reason to unify. We need to check how much support each candidate has from voters. I believe I am not running alone but representing the conservative right-wing. The People Power Party and its affiliated parties have treated conservatives like pawns, failing to achieve great results in various political experiments. If I record more than 10% of the vote as an independent, it can be a new hope for conservatives. This is not just Kang Yong-seok's political experiment but a recognition that conservatives hold a certain share in Korean politics. They are the forces that founded and protected the Republic of Korea. I think this recognition must be received this time. Conservatives have been disparaged as 'Taegukgi' (flag) groups and so on, especially opportunistic conservatives have said so."

- There are many perennial candidates who run in local and general elections.

"Both can be called local workers. The tracks for members of the National Assembly and heads of local governments are different. We should not elect people who use becoming local workers as a stepping stone for their own advancement. Everyone knows who is a worker for the region. Voters need to wisely judge who has proper pledges and aspirations to work, rather than just voting based on party or reluctantly voting for nominated candidates. Korean voters' level should be shown again in this election."

- Korean politics is increasingly experiencing deepening conflicts.

"It is usually called polarization, but in presidential systems, polarization generally appears after the 21st century. The U.S. also suffers from severe polarization and factionalism as much as we do. Europe has parliamentary or semi-presidential systems. In multi-party political systems, polarization is not severe. Currently, the two major parties try to embrace everyone, leading to internal factional fights. Political system improvements are needed so that multi-party or people with different ideas can enter politics. Running as an independent this time made me feel this need more acutely."

- What is your view on the media?

"We are doing very experimental things. Garosero Research Institute itself advocates new media. It is not just one of millions of YouTube channels. It is a new media with pride as a media outlet. We even think of taking on the entire old media. One main reason old media lost trust is that every five years when the regime changes, the president and key figures change, and the editorial stance shifts drastically. Because of this, some citizens doubt whether fairness truly exists. They even say it works for the owner's interests. Media companies talk about fairness, but in reality, they work for their own interests, which the public has already noticed. The ostensible fairness feels hypocritical, creating space for new media. I have ambitions to establish a new political force. Please watch. There is not much time left..."

- Differences in Kang Yong-seok as a lawyer, governor, and broadcaster?

"As a lawyer, it is a profession, so I think I have been faithful as a working person. However, I never considered broadcasting or YouTube as my main job. So I could be more faithful to my own thoughts. But if I become governor, since it is political and administrative, it might be difficult to stick only to principles. Depending on the situation, I may have to bend or yield for the benefit of residents. I will also push through policies and am confident I can handle any situation well."

- Any message to Gyeonggi residents?

"This Gyeonggi governor election is held right after the presidential election, so the two major parties will have a lot to say. However, please carefully judge the competitiveness between the candidates from the two major parties and me, the independent. The policies and pledges presented prove the quality of the candidate. Voters will better judge not only the understanding of policies and pledges but also the will and ability to implement them. Although my support rate is currently in the 10% range, it will continue to rise. Due to various political changes, it could change dramatically. I ask Gyeonggi residents to support and help this rising trend and make Kang Yong-seok the governor of Gyeonggi on June 1. I thank you once again."