Strong Criticism of the Yoon Administration at the Great Innovation Honam Forum
Repeated Calls for a Swift Constitutional Court Ruling on Impeachment
Alliance of Gwangju, South Jeolla, and North Jeolla
A Catalyst for Honam's Development Through Innovation
Governor Kim Stresses, "Honam Must Stand at the Center of Politics"
Jeonnam Governor Youngrok Kim attended the "Great Innovation Honam Forum" held at Naju Comprehensive Sports Park on the 23rd and declared the impeachment of Yoon Seokyeol along with the revival of Honam politics. Photo by WooGwan Kim, Jinseok Shim
At a gathering where Gwangju City, South Jeolla Province, and North Jeolla Province came together to strengthen the Honam Mega City Economic Alliance, Kim Yung-rok, Governor of South Jeolla Province, delivered a sharp message to the Constitutional Court, stating, "The Yoon Suk-yeol administration must be declared over as soon as possible." As he once again emphasized the revival of Honam politics, some interpret this as Kim declaring his bid for the presidency.
Kim Yung-rok, Governor of South Jeolla Province, Kang Gi-jung, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, and Kim Kwan-young, Governor of North Jeolla Province, attended the "Great Innovation Honam Forum" held at Naju Sports Park on the 23rd, which aimed to support the successful bid for the 2036 Jeonju Summer Olympics and to strengthen the Honam Mega City Economic Alliance.
Originally, the event was intended for the three Honam regional governments to pledge mutual cooperation and coexistence, and to reaffirm their commitment to realizing a mega city through the formation of a local community. However, the event became a venue for the local political community to criticize the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.
The criticism was directed at the Yoon administration for declaring an unconstitutional state of emergency without remorse, as well as at the Constitutional Court for delaying its decision on impeachment.
On the 23rd, participants of the 'Great Innovation Honam Forum' held at Naju Sports Complex shouted cheers emphasizing criticism of the Yoon Seokyeol administration and the revival of Honam politics. Photo by Shim Jinseok
The beginning came from Park Jie-won, a seasoned politician and National Assembly member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Haenam, Wando, and Jindo in South Jeolla Province).
Taking the stage to deliver a congratulatory speech at the forum, Park introduced himself with his characteristic wit, saying, "I am the famous Park Jie-won," and began to deliver strong criticism of President Yoon Suk-yeol.
Park stated, "This forum is an opportunity for the three Honam local governments to create a new vision for Honam through solidarity and innovation," and added, "After the state of emergency, the nation has fallen into crisis. Impeaching President Yoon Suk-yeol and having the Democratic Party change the administration to develop Gwangju, South Jeolla, and North Jeolla is the path to great innovation."
Shin Jung-hoon, another Democratic Party lawmaker (representing Naju and Hwasun), also delivered a congratulatory speech, saying, "The direction of the Great Innovation Forum is to wisely build a democratic Korea through the solidarity of local governments," and emphasized, "To stand against President Yoon Suk-yeol's oppression, the 'Honam spirit' is essential. Let us create a new government together."
Kang Gi-jung, Mayor of Gwangju, also joined the criticism of the Yoon administration.
As the keynote speaker of the forum, Mayor Kang stated, "The time has come to judge Yoon Suk-yeol (the president)," and emphasized, "We must cross the river of impeachment and return to a democratic government."
He continued, "The time to vote is approaching. Voter turnout in Honam must be high. In the last presidential election, the gap between first and second place was only 240,000 votes. If voter turnout in Honam increases by at least 5%, there is a chance of victory in the next presidential election. It will not be easy, but ultimately, voting is the answer."
Amidst this relay of condemnation against the Yoon administration, the highlight was the sharp remarks delivered by Governor Kim Yung-rok of South Jeolla Province.
Governor Kim revealed, "I attended the impeachment rally against Yoon Suk-yeol," and explained, "As the Constitutional Court's decision is delayed, citizens' concerns are deepening."
He added, "A ruling that can reassure the people must come as soon as possible," and raised his voice, saying, "President Yoon Suk-yeol must be impeached in the name of justice."
He also commented, "Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party, is currently on trial for stating during a televised debate in the last presidential election that he could not remember certain ambiguous facts. I firmly believe that the result of his Public Official Election Act trial must be acquittal."
Governor Kim also spoke about the resurgence of Honam politics.
He said, "Honam politics have failed to move forward since the era of former President Kim Dae-jung," and insisted, "We must fully restore the pride of Honam and once again place Honam at the center of politics."
While on the surface, Governor Kim's remarks may seem to simply reflect the local political sentiment, some interpret them as a declaration of his intention to become the leader of Honam politics.
There have indeed been concerns throughout the region about the collapse of Honam politics.
After former President Kim Dae-jung, influential politicians based in Honam, such as former lawmaker Han Hwa-gap and former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, have been seen leaving the political stage without making a lasting impact.
Meanwhile, former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in, as well as current Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, all hailing from Gyeongsang Province, have represented Honam politics with Honam's support.
During this process, the sense of marginalization in Honam has only grown.
Governor Kim's 'declaration of the revival of Honam politics' through this forum is ultimately seen as an intention to be evaluated by local residents as the new political leader of Honam, now that the previous leaders have disappeared. It also signals his determination to firmly pursue his previously promised presidential ambitions.
A local political figure commented, "Governor Kim Yung-rok's remarks, which presented a new direction for Honam politics at this gathering of Gwangju, South Jeolla, and North Jeolla, are highly significant," adding, "It serves as a public guarantee of his commitment to running for president, while also demonstrating his presence as another leader of Honam politics both domestically and internationally."
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