People Power Party Gwangju Preliminary Candidates Announce 'Hope Gwangju' 7 Major Pledges

Seeking Gwangju's Development as a Leading AI City

Establishing Historical Significance by Including the Spirit of May 18 in the Constitutional Preamble

Ahead of the 22nd National Assembly election, the Gwangju Metropolitan City branch of the People Power Party announced seven major pledges reflecting the changes in Gwangju.

On the afternoon of the 20th, the People Power Party's preliminary candidates in the Gwangju area held a press conference at the Gwangju City Council, presenting a promise to create hope for Gwangju together with citizens through the promotion of the second phase of the artificial intelligence (AI) project and the establishment of a future mobility infrastructure as their representative pledges.

The strategy is to promote the Gwangju-type Technovalley and establish a semiconductor specialized complex to develop Gwangju into a leading AI city.

The pledges are composed of seven areas (▲ Gwangju with future and hope ▲ Expanding and unfolding to make Gwangju bigger ▲ Gwangju that visitors come to, stay in, and a cultural hub ▲ Guaranteeing medical services for all generations based on public healthcare ▲ Gwangju with guaranteed mobility and experiences ▲ Establishing the historical significance of liberal democracy by enshrining the May 18 Spirit in the preamble of the Constitution ▲ Enriching Gwangju through diversification of water resources).

‘Gwangju with future and hope’ includes alternatives for major current issues in Gwangju such as ▲ prompt promotion of the second phase project to establish a national AI innovation hub ▲ enactment of the AI Industry Promotion Act and creation of a demonstration valley ▲ establishment of a 2.2 million pyeong (approx. 7.27 million sq. meters) specialized complex for materials, parts, and equipment and fostering R&D companies ▲ fostering and expanding infrastructure for Gwangju’s autonomous driving future car materials and parts specialized field ▲ building the Gwangju-type Technovalley to activate youth startups ▲ establishing an advanced packaging semiconductor specialized complex.

‘Expanding and unfolding to make Gwangju bigger’ plans to accelerate the early construction of the Moonlight High-Speed Railway, the integrated relocation of Gwangju’s civilian and military airports, and the construction of the Gwangju?Goheung Expressway (87.7 km).

For ‘Gwangju that visitors come to, stay in, and a cultural hub,’ the pledges include building the Gwangju Opera House (a dedicated arts theater), attracting a large theme park to Gwangju, and promoting the installation of a cable car on Mudeungsan Mountain to expand cultural arts and tourism public infrastructure.

‘Guaranteeing medical services for all generations based on public healthcare’ involves establishing the Gwangju Metropolitan Medical Center and building a regional pediatric specialized treatment center to secure large-scale public medical facilities and improve citizens’ quality of life.

‘Gwangju with guaranteed mobility and experiences’ envisions supporting infrastructure for the construction of a complex shopping mall in Gwangju, and actively promoting the undergrounding of the urban section of the Gwangju Line, which has been disconnected for 100 years, to develop the upper area and create a better living environment in Gwangju.

Additionally, by enshrining the May 18 Spirit in the preamble of the Constitution to establish the historical significance of liberal democracy, restoring urban stream ecology, building an ICT-based integrated water management smart water grid, and promoting modernization of aging water supply networks, the plan aims to provide water resources that Gwangju citizens can use with confidence.

The preliminary candidates said, “We will create a Gwangju that presents a positive future to youth and citizens and fulfills hope and dreams,” adding, “By completing the first phase of the national AI cluster project and basing on the future mobility industry, we will create new growth engines for Gwangju through attracting youth startups and venture companies.”