Elected Park Sang-gil Draws Attention with Reentry into Gwangju Nam-gu Council after 12 Years

A 'Time for Reflection' During the Political Hiatus... "We Refined a Vision to Show Residents"

"We Will Eliminate Conflict and Practice Inclusive Leadership Based on Sharing and Empathy with Residents"

Sang-gil Park, the elected member of the 9th Gwangju Metropolitan City Nam-gu Council, is explaining his political philosophy.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Seven attempts and eight tries. No, burning the will of two attempts and three tries, a newly elected official who re-entered the basic council after 12 years is attracting attention.

When he first became a council member, he was full of youthful vigor, but now he is determined to practice politics that resonate with residents by adding experience and maturity.

The protagonist is Park Sang-gil, the elected official who will join the 9th Gwangju Metropolitan City Nam-gu Council.

Park began his political career as a member of the 5th Nam-gu Council in 2006 and had mostly stayed on the outskirts of the political arena since then.

He attempted a comeback by running in the June 13, 2018 local elections but tasted defeat against Park Yong-hwa, a candidate from the Minsheng Party at the time.

Among the 11 elected officials who will enter the 9th Nam-gu Council on the 1st of next month, he is the only one who has experienced the pain of losing an election.

Like the old saying that rain and wind are needed to make fertile soil, Park says he used the pain of defeat as a stepping stone to grow as a politician.

During the four years after his loss, he took time to reflect on himself and always carried a notebook.

He carried a notebook even during his tenure as a 5th council member, but he wrote less and less than before.

He filled it with notes on the kind of politics residents want, what truly helps their lives, what he can do, and what requires assistance?like a warrior sharpening his sword while waiting for the right moment.

He thought, “If local politics continue as a series of conflicts and confrontations, ultimately the residents will suffer,” and this formed his political philosophy: “inclusive leadership” based on sharing and empathy.

His philosophy is to minimize conflicts, unite people, and channel that strength toward the residents.

He also plans to avoid abusing the small four-year power and walk alongside local residents while addressing various issues, with the mindset that “learning from the residents and finding answers on the ground” is essential.

His ultimate goal is to create a “society of coexistence” by adhering to the fundamental role of a basic council member, such as proposing life-centered ordinances.

Park will officially start his duties on the 1st of next month. He plans to immediately survey the field to prepare support measures for “dementia patients,” his first campaign pledge.

Based on basic data such as the scale and living standards of dementia families in each neighborhood, combined with hearing residents’ complaints, he is determined to create a more advanced “support ordinance.”

He emphasized, “I will prioritize resolving the inconveniences residents face in their daily lives and fulfill my role as a servant of the residents.”

During the campaign from the 19th to the 31st of last month, he traveled back and forth three times a day across his constituencies?Baegun-dong, Sajik-dong, Yangnim-dong, and Bangnim-dong?and he expressed his determination to hold residents’ hands until the very end without losing that initial spirit.

Park proudly stated, “Among the elected Nam-gu council members, I am the candidate who gave the most speeches, walked the most, and approached residents the most,” and vowed, “I will not lose that initial spirit and will dedicate myself for four years.”

He is also committed to showing the qualities of a responsible politician, not just a “flash-in-the-pan” during election season.

Meanwhile, Park, born in Boseong, Jeollanam-do, has been actively involved in various public-private cooperative network organizations such as the Baegun 1-dong Council Chairman and Executive Committee member of the Dongnam-eul Regional Committee, a member of the Baegun 1-dong Community Security Council, and a volunteer firefighter in Nam-gu, leading efforts to solve various welfare issues for the local community.