Yun Byeong-tae, Candidate for Mayor of Naju, "I Will Lead Naju's Rebound"

Successful Conclusion of 13 Days of Official Election Campaign with Final Rally at Jungang-ro

On the final day of the official election campaign, the 31st, Yoon Byung-tae, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate, is conducting his closing rally at the Jungang-ro intersection in Naju City.

[Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yuk-bong] Yoon Byung-tae, the Democratic Party candidate for mayor of Naju, Jeollanam-do, who engaged in a fierce battle with an independent candidate for the mayoral seat in the 8th local election, announced that he concluded the 13-day official campaign on the afternoon of the 31st at 6:30 PM with a rally at the Jungang-ro intersection.

Yoon, following the Democratic Party city council and provincial council candidates, took the stage and expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thanks to the support and encouragement of the citizens, we were able to successfully complete the official campaign.”

He then criticized, “Although Naju has gained a precious opportunity to leap forward once again in a thousand years through the development of the Innovation City, candidate Kang In-gyu has wasted the past eight years.”

Therefore, he argued, “This election should be a judgment on the incompetent and corrupt administration of the past eight years and a choice of a capable worker who will lead Naju’s re-advancement.”

Furthermore, if elected, he pledged, “I will secure support from the government, Jeollanam-do, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), and 16 other public institutions to quickly resolve local issues including the SRF problem, and make Naju a strong city with a population of 200,000.”

To this end, he promised, “I will create an industry-academia-research cluster linking Innovation City with the Korea Energy Engineering University, making it the center of Korea’s energy industry and the heart of Naju’s development, and drastically improve residential conditions to make it a place full of pride.”

He also stated, “The old downtown will be transformed into Korea’s top tourist destination through the creation of the Yeongsan River 300-ri premium bicycle path, the establishment of the 2nd Sports Park, the swift restoration of Naju Eupseong Fortress and Mokgwana, and the construction of a convention center.”

Additionally, he said, “The rural areas will become a returning countryside by providing a monthly rural allowance of 100,000 won, expanding support for successor and startup farmers, and improving residential environments.”

Yoon Byung-tae, who was finally confirmed as the Democratic Party’s candidate for Naju mayor on April 30, has been directly visiting every corner of Naju to appeal for voter support.

In response, independent candidate Kang In-gyu, who was eliminated from the Democratic Party nomination, formed an independent coalition with city and provincial council candidates who were also excluded, claiming, “This election should be a judgment on National Assemblyman Shin Jeong-hoon, who interfered in the nomination process and unfairly eliminated them.”

As a result, the Naju mayoral election saw a tight two-way contest, with independent candidate Kang In-gyu, who had a solid organizational strength, leading in opinion polls during the early official campaign period.

However, Yoon’s side reportedly grew optimistic about the outcome as time passed, with a growing consensus on the need to judge Kang In-gyu and the sentiment of still being the Democratic Party.

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yuk-bong bong2910@asiae.co.kr