3rd Anniversary Press Conference of the 8th Elected Term Held
"Government Funding for Honam Expressway Expansion Should Be Increased"
"Apologies for the Delay in Opening Subway Line 2"
Kang Gijeong, mayor of Gwangju, is giving an opening speech at the '3rd Anniversary Press Conference of the 8th Elected Term' held in the Business Room on the 3rd floor of the city hall on the morning of the 26th. Photo by Kang Seongsu
On the 26th, Kang Gijeong, mayor of Gwangju, stated, "We will do our utmost to ensure that Gwangju becomes Korea's leading city in AI and integrated care by launching the construction of a complex shopping mall and implementing related traffic measures, advancing the second phase of our AI-centric city initiative and attracting the National AI Computing Center, expanding integrated care, and establishing the 'Integrated Care Support Act,' among other efforts."
At the '3rd Anniversary Press Conference of the 8th Elected Term' held in the Business Room on the 3rd floor of city hall that day, Mayor Kang said, "The past three years have been, in a word, a time of overcoming crises and dedication. Now, it is time for Gwangju to soar together with the Lee Jaemyung administration, building on that foundation. Yesterday, we achieved our first result: the formation of the Six-Party Task Force for the relocation of the military airport. Many more achievements await us," he said.
Regarding the relocation of the Gwangju military airport, he explained, "When the special national support law for airport relocation was passed, I thought it would definitely happen, and that we had passed the most difficult stage. However, there was no real progress. Even during the Moon Jaein administration, a pan-governmental body was formed to push the project, but that also did not succeed. Fortunately, President Lee Jaemyung made a decisive decision yesterday. Once the Six-Party Task Force is established, we will be able to discuss the details more concretely," he said with anticipation.
On the AX Demonstration Valley project, he said, "On the 24th, I met with Ha Jungwoo, the presidential office's chief of AI, and discussed two issues. For the second phase of the AI project, I emphasized that the matching fund of the 600 billion won project budget should be adjusted to 60% from the government, 30% from Gwangju City, and 10% from the private sector. There are many privately-led data centers in Korea, and there will be even more in the future. What we are focusing on, and what Gwangju is preparing, is a public AI data center directly invested in and led by the government. We will do our best to attract the National AI Computing Center to Gwangju," he explained.
Kang Gijeong, mayor of Gwangju, is answering reporters' questions at the '3rd Anniversary Press Conference of the 8th Elected Term' held in the Business Room on the 3rd floor of the city hall on the morning of the 26th. Photo by Kang Seongsu
Regarding the expansion construction of the Honam Expressway between Donggwangju and Gwangsan interchanges, he said, "I think it will be difficult to proceed with the section currently set for groundbreaking. I do not intend to secure the budget for this in the upcoming supplementary budget. Even if this year's project funds are unused or carried over, I do not believe we will be unable to receive the funds again," he said. "We are reviewing the Honam Expressway issue from two perspectives. A 50-50 split between government and local budgets is not appropriate. The government should increase its share of the funding," he emphasized.
He continued, "A simple simulation of the expansion project shows that travel time would be reduced by 6 minutes and 30 seconds. However, the nearby Maekmundong-gil would have to be removed, and a forested area stretching 2 to 3 kilometers would also need to be cleared. We must also consider the loss of good roads in our surroundings," he added.
Regarding the delay in the opening of subway line 2, he said, "I am sorry that we will not be able to keep our promise to open the road by October as originally planned. I believe it will be possible by December. During the underground construction, we encountered a large rock mass equivalent to about 3,700 dump trucks, which caused the delay. In any case, I am truly sorry," he expressed his apology.
Meanwhile, in his closing remarks, Mayor Kang stressed, "Looking at Gwangju's municipal administration, there are more than just one or two issues to solve. The first is the airport relocation, and next, in my view, are transportation problems and the reorganization of urban space." He added, "The third is not necessarily a priority, but ultimately, I think it is a matter of consumption and people's livelihoods. We are currently reviewing integrated operation plans for delivery, consumption coupons, and local gift certificates at the Neighborhood Economy Situation Room," he added.
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