Kim: "I Will Be a Strong Advocate for Jeonnam's Interests"
Jo: "Driving Success in Next Year's Local Elections and the Lee Jaemyung Administration"
Won-Ki Kim
Assemblyman Jo Gye-won
The election for the head of the Jeonnam Provincial Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, left vacant after the resignation of Chairman Ju Cheolhyeon, will be held as a contested race. This is the first time in about ten years.
According to local political sources on the 21st, Assemblyman Kim Wonki, who represents Mokpo (serving his second term), and Assemblyman Jo Gyewon, a first-term lawmaker representing Yeosu, officially announced their intention to run for the Jeonnam Provincial Committee chairmanship on this day.
In his declaration of candidacy, Assemblyman Kim emphasized, "Jeollanam-do is currently suffering from a dual crisis of economic hardship and livelihood challenges," and added, "We need a strong worker who can collaborate with the Lee Jae-myung administration to secure Jeonnam's interests."
He further stated, "The petrochemical and steel industries in the eastern region require active government support," and promised, "I will turn this crisis into an opportunity by integrating renewable energy from the western region with industries from the east. Based on my experience as secretary of the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, I will provide solutions."
Assemblyman Kim presented his core tasks as follows: ▲Establishment of an offshore wind power-based RE100 industrial complex ▲Creation of a national medical school in the Jeonnam region ▲Development of specialized clusters for secondary batteries and materials, parts, and equipment ▲Fostering of advanced materials and aerospace industries.
Assemblyman Jo also held a press conference at the Jeonnam Provincial Council, stating, "The Democratic Party's Jeonnam Provincial Committee must become the driving force for victory in next year's local elections and for the success of the current Lee Jae-myung administration," and vowed, "I will fire the starting signal for Jeonnam's development."
Assemblyman Jo's main pledges include: ▲A Jeonnam Provincial Committee where party members are the true owners ▲No candidate cut-off for the 2026 local elections ▲Strengthening the policy functions of party member councils and the provincial committee ▲Significantly expanding channels for local councilors and party members to participate in committee activities.
Meanwhile, the election for the provincial committee chair will be conducted through online and telephone voting, with 90% of the votes coming from dues-paying party members and 10% from delegates. The results are scheduled to be announced at the Jeonnam Provincial Committee convention on November 1. This is the first contested election for the Democratic Party's Jeonnam Provincial Committee chair since 2015, when Hwang Juhong and Lee Yunseok competed during the New Politics Alliance for Democracy era, marking a ten-year interval.
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