Seo Imseok of Gwangju City Council: "My Vote Is the Power to Change the Future of Our Region"

Appeal for Voting in Plenary Session's "Five-Minute Free Speech"
"Citizens' Votes Are the Last Bastion of Democracy"

Seo Imseok, Gwangju City Councilor.

Seo Imseok, a member of the Gwangju City Council (Democratic Party of Korea, Nam-gu District 1), made a "five-minute free speech" during the first regular session of the 332nd Gwangju City Council plenary meeting on June 2. He appealed for active voter participation, stating, "On the eve of the 21st presidential election, the votes of Gwangju citizens will become the power to change the future of the Republic of Korea."

Councilor Seo emphasized, "The spirit of Gwangju, which cried out for freedom in May 1980 even in the face of death, did not remain merely as history. That outcry has come alive in every election through citizens' votes, and Gwangju has always served as the last bastion of democracy in the Republic of Korea."

He continued, "In the early voting held on May 29 and 30, Gwangju's voter turnout was 52.12%, far exceeding the national average. This result proves that each citizen is the 'protagonist of history.'" He expressed his gratitude to the more than half of Gwangju citizens who participated in early voting, and called on those who have not yet voted to participate in the main election.

Councilor Seo also mentioned the economic value of voting. He said, "A single vote, said to be worth tens of millions of won, is not just a political expression but a real power that determines local budgets, policy decisions, and the direction of social infrastructure. The power of voting is precisely in creating even a small crack in the flow of power."

Finally, Councilor Seo reiterated, "There is no predetermined answer to the problems of our lives," and added, "Each citizen's vote can realize new possibilities, and rewrite the future of this city and the path of the Republic of Korea."