Democratic Party Presidential Primary Candidate Joint Speech in Honam Region
"Spirit of May 18 Prevented Martial Law... Must Be Included in the Constitution's Preamble"
"Nation Should Be Divided into Five Regions with Autonomous Budget Support"
Gyeongsu Kim, a presidential primary candidate of the Democratic Party, is delivering his policy speech at the Honam region joint rally held at the Kim Daejung Convention Center in Gwangju on the 26th. Photo by Bohyun Song
Kim Gyeongsu, a candidate in the 21st presidential primary of the Democratic Party, has proposed a plan to divide the country into five regions and provide autonomous budget support to achieve balanced regional development.
On the afternoon of the 26th, candidate Kim delivered his policy speech at the Honam region joint rally held at the Kim Daejung Convention Center in Gwangju, stating, "I will promote balanced development across the country by establishing mega-city autonomous governments in each of the five major regions."
Kim said, "It was because there was accountability for the 5·18 insurrection that we were able to overcome martial law and rebellion," and added, "This is why the spirit of 5·18 Gwangju must be enshrined in the preamble of the Constitution."
He continued, "The Gwangju spirit, engraved in the preamble of the Constitution, will firmly protect the future of democracy in Korea," and pointed out, "The forces behind Chun Doo-hwan's insurrection have neither revealed the truth nor apologized to this day."
He stated, "Yoon Suk-yeol has been released and is smiling as if he were a victor, and the People Power Party has not even attempted to break ties with the forces behind the insurrection. I will bring a complete end to the rebellion through an overwhelming change of government," emphasizing, "Together with all democratic forces who once filled the Plaza of Light with cheering sticks, I will completely transform Korea."
He went on to say, "For decades, Honam's support for the Democratic Party has remained unwavering, but promises for regional development have yet to be fulfilled. During elections, they say, 'Honam is the root and heart of the Democratic Party,' but once the election is over, the focus shifts back to Seoul and the greater metropolitan area, where there are more voters."
He added, "Now, we must change the basic operating system of the nation. As long as the central government, which is unfamiliar with local regions, holds onto the budget and authority and distributes funds with strings attached as if doing a favor, regional development will remain a distant dream. I promise to divide the country into five regions and establish five mega-city autonomous governments, creating five additional metropolitan areas across the nation."
He also pledged, "I will provide more than 30 trillion won in annual autonomous budgets to the five mega-city autonomous governments," and added, "Each of these governments will work with universities, research institutes, and companies to foster talent based on their unique characteristics, creating a virtuous cycle in which people nurture the region and the region, in turn, nurtures its people."
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