[Incheon Mayor Candidate Interview] Yoo Jeong-bok "Transform Jemulpo into a Tourism and Startup Complex City"

Yoo Jeong-bok, People Power Party Candidate
Undergrounding Gyeongin Railway and Expressways
Frontlines Revitalization of Old Downtown
"Lee Jae-myung, Is Incheon a Refuge?"

Yoo Jeong-bok, People Power Party candidate for Incheon Mayor. Photo by Candidate Yoo Jeong-bok

"I will reclaim the lost four years and create a new Incheon"

On the 25th, Yoo Jeong-bok, the People Power Party candidate for mayor of Incheon, stated in an interview with Asia Economy, "During the past four years under Park Nam-chun of the Democratic Party of Korea, Incheon regressed and its citizens were unhappy."

Yoo emphasized, "When I served as mayor from 2014 to 2018, I resolved local issues and accelerated future development by confirming the Incheon KTX project, extending Subway Line 7 to Cheongna, and converting the Gyeongin Expressway into a regular road. I transformed Incheon, which was burdened with a debt costing 1.2 billion KRW in daily interest, into a financially sound city." He presented key pledges such as the Jemulpo Renaissance and the undergrounding of the Gyeongin Railway and Gyeongin Expressway to revitalize the old downtown area, expressing his ambition to "work closely with the Yoon Seok-yeol administration to complete major pledges early and make Incheon a premier luxury city."

Below is a Q&A with candidate Yoo.

- What has changed compared to four years ago?

▲ I have gained a lot of experience living as a private citizen. I took care of household chores and socialized with friends at a bindaetteok (mung bean pancake) restaurant and a spicy fish stew restaurant. At the same time, I studied as a visiting scholar at George Washington University in the United States and broadened my perspective on international affairs through discussions with senior officials from both Korea and the U.S. Based on this, I have a strong desire to work for my hometown, Incheon.

- Please introduce your main pledges.

▲ Revitalizing the old downtown area is my top pledge. I plan to transfer the Jemulpo site, referring to the inner port of Incheon, from the national government to Incheon in the mid-to-long term and designate it as an economic free zone to develop it into a world-class port city. First, I will transform Inner Port Piers 1 and 8 into a complex space for tourism, housing, culture, and startups. Additionally, by undergrounding the Gyeongin Railway and Gyeongin Expressway, I will turn the surrounding area into a cultural, industrial, and residential hub.

I plan to create a vibrant Incheon by fulfilling economic and industrial pledges such as pioneering the 100 trillion KRW economic scale era, attracting global and advanced companies, creating 600,000 jobs, and nurturing 100,000 young CEOs. I will also establish a virtuous cycle structure of growth and welfare. This includes free city bus rides for seniors, sustainable job creation for the elderly, introducing a ‘Citizen Safety System’ that proactively offers help, and expanding support funds for livelihood benefit recipients.

- What is your assessment of the current race and your strategy for the remaining period?

▲ According to various opinion polls, I am leading candidate Park by a margin ranging from 7 to 17 percentage points. It seems that citizens highly evaluate my capabilities, policies, and morality, and expect that by working in harmony with the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, I will resolve Incheon’s issues and fulfill pledges to accelerate Incheon’s development. During the remaining campaign period, I will conduct an active voting participation campaign targeting supporters and moderate voters, including early voting.

- What is your evaluation of Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party senior advisor running in Gyeyang District, Incheon?

▲ Lee’s candidacy has no justification or value. He has no ties to Incheon and is known as the mastermind behind the largest corruption scandal since the founding of Korea, the Daejang-dong incident. He is also a suspect in the Seongnam FC corporate sponsorship allegations and the so-called ‘corporate card’ case. In short, a criminal is attempting to escape to Incheon, but Incheon is neither a refuge nor a hiding place. It appears he intends to evade or delay investigations by becoming a member of the National Assembly, but that is a misconception. The citizens of Incheon and residents of Gyeyang will judge him harshly. He will come to understand how formidable the ‘salty water’ of Incheon is.