Lee Kwang-jae, a member of the Democratic Party who declared his candidacy for the Gangwon Province governor in the June 1 local elections, is delivering a speech at the Democratic Party's presentation of five major visions for Gangwon Province held at the National Assembly on the 25th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Kim Min-seok, the General Election Headquarters Chief of the Democratic Party of Korea, predicted on the 24th that "a miracle will happen in Gangwon Province."
At a press briefing held at the National Assembly that day, Chief Kim said, "Due to the nature of local elections, metropolitan governors are considered the next-generation figures of their respective regions," adding, "During the 2010 local elections, I predicted that Ahn Hee-jung (Chungnam), Song Young-gil (Incheon), and Lee Kwang-jae (Gangwon), who were trailing by more than 20 percentage points, would win, and I was right." He continued, "Current Gangwon Governor candidate Lee Kwang-jae is a genius in elections and the best at conducting elections in Korea," and said, "Being an election genius is not about technique but about excelling at empathizing with voters' hearts."
He mentioned, "(In the 2010 election) the love for Gangwon Province shown by former President Roh Moo-hyun and candidate Lee, who focused investments there after the participatory government, was effective, and now there is the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Act, which Lee is leading and is about to be passed."
Chief Kim said, "If candidate Lee had stayed in the National Assembly, he could have been guaranteed at least the position of floor leader or higher," adding, "Because the election outcome in Gangwon Province was uncertain, I thought Lee's leadership was necessary and even tried to dissuade him." He continued, "Lee is not only the legitimate successor of the pro-Roh faction but also a rare politician in Korean politics with political imagination and content, so he was someone who absolutely had to be preserved," and introduced, "I tried to dissuade him out of affection for him, but Lee chose to run for governor out of his love for Gangwon Province."
He said, "In all polls, he is surging forward with terrifying momentum, and this is because the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Act is likely to be passed before the local elections, and if it passes, the people of Gangwon Province will support this candidate."
Chief Kim stated, "If this candidate creates a miracle and wins in Gangwon this time, I am confident he will become the strongest presidential candidate next," and said, "I want to tell the people of Gangwon Province that supporting this candidate is the strength of Gangwon Province."
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