Town Hall Meeting in Gwangju:
Gwangju Airport and Balanced National Development Raised as Key Agendas
President Lee: "Gwangju is Like the Mother of the 'Revolution of Light'... Let's Explore Ways to Realize Popular Sovereignty"
On June 25, President Lee Jaemyung held the event "Listening to the Heart of Honam" at the National Asia Culture Center in Gwangju, where he raised the issues of the Gwangju military airport and balanced regional development as main agenda items.
In his opening remarks, President Lee stated, "Since I first ran for party leader, the military airport issue has been discussed countless times, but there has been no progress." He added, "Based on what I have heard from each party, it seems that if a compromise were reached, the situation could be much better than it is now, but due to differences of opinion and misunderstandings, the current negative situation continues."
He continued, "The first agenda item is the Gwangju airport issue, which is an immediate and pressing matter. I hope we can have an open and candid discussion about the opinions of all stakeholders in front of the entire nation. While we may not reach a final conclusion today, I think it would be meaningful to at least find the starting point for a solution."
President Lee also presented the issue of balanced national development as an agenda item. He said, "Many issues are discussed in the Seoul metropolitan area, but if you look closely, most of these problems arise from Korea's excessive concentration in the capital region. If the national territory were used more efficiently, many of these issues could be resolved. I would like to hear your thoughts as direct stakeholders on how we can achieve balanced regional development."
In addition, President Lee mentioned two key tasks for the new administration: promoting technology industries such as artificial intelligence (AI), and transitioning to a renewable energy-centered system. He said, "We need to promote AI and advanced technology industries, and in response to the global shift toward energy transformation due to the climate crisis, we must make a major transition centered on renewable energy. The southwest coast is a treasure trove of renewable energy, so the development strategy for the southern belt could help alleviate the problems of the capital region's dominance and excessive concentration to some extent."
Meanwhile, President Lee emphasized, "Gwangju is like the mother of the 'Revolution of Light' that began on December 3 last year," and added, "We organized this event to explore how genuine democracy and popular sovereignty, which started in Gwangju and Honam, can be realized." President Lee especially noted, "When I was mayor of Seongnam, I held many similar meetings. If we could refrain from repetitive, personal, or overly emotional comments and instead share concise remarks that concern everyone, it would be very helpful."
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