Over 3,000 Residents from Yeongam, Muan, and Sinan Attend
"Decided to Run to Complete Ongoing Local Projects"
Seo Sam-seok, a preliminary candidate running in the Yeongam·Muan·Shinan electoral district, held the opening ceremony of his campaign office near the main gate of the Jeonnam Provincial Government Office on the 9th and officially launched his election campaign.
The opening ceremony was attended by about 3,000 people, including those engaged in agriculture, fisheries, and livestock industries, female farmers and fishermen, youth and senior citizens' associations, and residents of Yeongam, Muan, and Shinan counties from various sectors.
Preliminary candidate Seo Samsuk pledges victory with supporters at the opening ceremony on the 9th. [Photo by Seo Samsuk's campaign office]
Kim Jin-pyo, Speaker of the National Assembly, Hong Ik-pyo, Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Jung Chung-rae, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, sent congratulatory messages via video.
Speaker Kim Jin-pyo said, “Representative Seo Sam-seok has always demonstrated outstanding capabilities and taken the lead in solving the region’s long-standing issues.”
Floor Leader Hong Ik-pyo expressed support, saying, “I hope the sincere heart and passion of working hard with the mindset of the initial intention will be well conveyed to many people.”
Supreme Council Member Jung Chung-rae greeted, “I hope you will join in regaining the lost spring of the Republic of Korea together with candidate Seo Sam-seok.”
Kim Byung-do, a preliminary candidate who served as the moderator, said, “The message this election conveys is extremely important and urgent,” adding, “The end of that urgency is regional development and regime judgment.”
He continued, “The only candidate who can accomplish that is preliminary candidate Seo Sam-seok,” emphasizing, “If we produce a powerful and capable three-term lawmaker from our region, I am confident that the necessary matters in the region will definitely be resolved.”
A session was also held where social organizations, including those from agriculture, fisheries, livestock, seniors, youth, and women, presented policy proposals. Various suggestions for system improvements were delivered to preliminary candidate Seo Sam-seok, including △strengthening the safety net for agricultural product prices △improving the system for policy funds supporting successors of fishermen △providing lunch five days a week at senior centers △reducing production costs for livestock farms △expanding youth policy participation △securing effective status for female farmers as joint managers △expanding welfare benefits for multi-child families.
Following this, preliminary candidate Seo Sam-seok presented the vision for Yeongam·Muan·Shinan counties. His key pledges included △supplementary legislation for the Local Extinction 3+1 Act △introduction of minimum price guarantees for agriculture and fisheries △and the steady promotion of regional development projects.
Candidate Seo said, “I have been able to stand here because the residents have given me boundless love over the past six years,” and added, “I decided to run to ensure the projects underway in the region are completed without delay.”
He also stated, “Making good laws, amending bad laws, and supporting the budgets and projects requested by the region are the roles of a member of the National Assembly,” pledging, “I will pursue supplementary legislation to revive agricultural and fishing villages facing regional and population extinction crises.”
Finally, he said, “Thanks to the support of party leadership such as party leader Lee Jae-myung, floor leader Hong Ik-pyo, and supreme council member Jung Chung-rae, we were able to protect the electoral district that was at risk of being dissolved,” and apologized, “I am sorry for causing concern to the residents due to the electoral district delimitation issue and thank them for their patience.”
Meanwhile, candidate Seo previously ran in the 2018 by-election for the Yeongam·Muan·Shinan National Assembly seat and is currently a two-term lawmaker. Since entering the National Assembly, he has held key party positions such as Chairman of the Democratic Party’s Jeonnam Provincial Committee, Deputy Floor Leader (Budget), and Chief Deputy Secretary-General, gaining significant influence both inside and outside the party.
In particular, he has served as a member of the Budget and Accounts Committee three times over the past six years since 2018 and currently serves as the Chairperson of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts. In this role, he has played a major part in securing budgets for urgent projects in Yeongam, Muan, and Shinan, as well as ushering in the era of a 9 trillion won national budget for Jeonnam in 2024.
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