[Current Affairs Show] Yang Gidae: "I Will Make Public Transportation Free in Gyeonggi Province"

"Dividing Into Pro-Lee and Non-Pro-Lee Factions Is an Outdated Frame"
"Will Play a Leading Role Through Policy"
"Regretful About My Frank Criticism of Lee Jaemyung"

■ Broadcast: The Asia Business Daily's "So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show" (Monday to Friday, 4-5 PM)

■ Host: So Jongseop, Political Specialist ■ Director: Ma Yena, Producer

■ Guest: Former National Assemblyman Yang Gidae (December 31)

So Jongseop: Hello, everyone. This is the final episode of "So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show" for this year. Today, we have a guest who declared his candidacy for the Democratic Party primary for Gyeonggi Province Governor on December 18. He previously served two terms as Mayor of Gwangmyeong and as a National Assemblyman. Welcome, former Assemblyman Yang Gidae. Thank you for joining us today.

Yang Gidae: Yes, it's a pleasure to be here.

So Jongseop: You must be busy these days after announcing your candidacy.

Yang Gidae: People have asked me, "What gave you the confidence to run for Gyeonggi Province Governor?" Back in 2018, I ran in the Gyeonggi gubernatorial primary against then-Seongnam Mayor Lee Jaemyung and then-Assemblyman Jeon Haecheol. Since then, I have served as a National Assemblyman, and with my experience as a two-term Mayor of Gwangmyeong and as a lawmaker handling budgets and legislation, I wanted to combine all that experience to fundamentally transform Gyeonggi Province. With that in mind, I decided to run this time, aiming for a major transformation.

So Jongseop: Given the circumstances, it must not have been an easy decision to make.

December 18: Declared Candidacy for Democratic Party Primary for Gyeonggi Governor

Yang Gidae: I went through my own difficulties in last year's general election, so I did a lot of soul-searching. Gyeonggi Province is often seen as being in the shadow of Seoul, as a peripheral area. I want to turn Gyeonggi into a place where residents can be proud and self-sufficient. This isn't about solving just one or two issues, but about fundamentally changing the structure of the province. I made up my mind around last fall, but it wasn't a situation where I could go public right away, so I spent a lot of time studying and preparing.

So Jongseop: I see. Gyeonggi has the largest population in Korea, doesn't it?

Former Democratic Party lawmaker Yang Gi-dae appeared on The Asia Business Daily's "So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show" on the 31st and gave an interview regarding his candidacy for governor of Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Huh Younghan

Yang Gidae: That's right. The population is 14.3 million. This community really needs to function properly, but right now it's just seen as an outskirt of Seoul, in its shadow. Compared to the 27 countries of the European Union, Gyeonggi ranks eighth in terms of population. That's how significant its scale is. But currently, real estate prices, jobs, transportation, education, and culture are all concentrated in or dependent on Seoul, so Gyeonggi is just following Seoul's lead. It's a painful reality, and as a result, residents have less sense of identity and pride. I believe that's the first thing that needs to change, and for that, a structural transformation is necessary. While Governor Kim Dongyeon has managed the province stably, it lacks dynamism. Gyeonggi should be leading government policy and even the national agenda, given its size, but that's not happening, which is disappointing.

So Jongseop: Having served as both mayor and lawmaker, you must have some achievements to highlight.

Yang Gidae: I've worked in various roles, pursued change, and I know how to get things done. For example, I transformed Gwangmyeong Cave, which had been abandoned for 40 years, into an international tourist destination that now attracts over 1 million visitors a year. It has been selected as one of Korea's top 100 tourist sites for seven consecutive years. Then there's the KTX Gwangmyeong Station area. In 2004, 46.8 billion won of national funds were invested to build it as a departure station, but when the departure point moved to Seoul, the surrounding 580,000-pyeong area became empty land. I went to IKEA's headquarters in Sweden and succeeded in attracting IKEA to the area. I also brought in Costco's headquarters from Yeongdeungpo District, which is still there. Additionally, I attracted Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital and an airport terminal to KTX Gwangmyeong Station. I made Gwangmyeong a debt-free city and implemented eco-friendly free school meals for middle and high schools, a first in the country.

So Jongseop: Turning an abandoned mine into a popular destination must have been especially challenging.

"I Will Use My Experience Making 'Gwangmyeong Cave' a Success to Transform Gyeonggi Province"

Yang Gidae: At first, public officials hid behind the scenes, doubting it would work, and locals strongly opposed it, saying it would just become a money pit and cause problems later. But once I set my mind to something, I don't hesitate or overthink-I just push forward like a bulldozer. Honestly, I was a bit naive. I only focused on work, and didn't do much to promote myself. Even now, I don't align myself with political factions. If I had, I might have received more recognition, but my style has always been to work hard and communicate directly with citizens. As a result, I haven't gained much political recognition or public awareness.

There are many prominent candidates running for Gyeonggi Governor, and they're all impressive. Some are current governors, and others have played key roles in holding those responsible for past rebellions accountable. I hope to combine their strengths with my own unique qualities and push forward. We live in a time of rapid change, so insight, creativity, quick thinking, and the ability to unite and drive the entire province are all essential. I believe these are my greatest strengths and that I am second to none in these areas.

So Jongseop: You must have prepared a lot of policies for your gubernatorial run. Could you share one or two of your key policies?

"I Will Start by Making Buses Free for Public Transportation"

Yang Gidae: My main policy is free public transportation. If there are enough jobs in Gyeonggi and housing prices don't skyrocket, people wouldn't need to commute to Seoul. From that perspective, I want to make public transportation free. Buses and subways are interconnected, but I want to start with buses first. Rather than simply providing free public transportation in cash, I plan to use local currency. This will revitalize local businesses and create a virtuous cycle for the regional economy. Statistics show that when public transportation is promoted, about 10% to 20% of private car drivers switch to public transit. This improves traffic flow. In extreme cases, it could even reduce road maintenance costs. Plus, we are in an era of carbon neutrality, so this would have a huge impact on reducing carbon emissions.

There's a system called K-Pass operated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which is a metropolitan transfer system linking subways and buses. Gyeonggi Province has a similar system called "The Gyeonggi Pass," which is a kind of transportation card. Currently, 1.6 million people are enrolled. Analysis of these users shows that, in terms of carbon reduction, the effect is equivalent to planting 11 million pine trees. That's how significant the impact on carbon neutrality is.

So Jongseop: So you're saying there could be multiple benefits at once?

Former Assemblyman Yang emphasized "free public transportation" as his key policy. Photo by Heo Younghan

Yang Gidae: For residents, especially young workers and ordinary citizens, providing around 100,000 won in transportation expenses through local currency will help their household finances, boost the local economy, reduce traffic congestion, and cut carbon emissions. This pledge is not just about welfare or populism. I argue that it's a structural transformation with economic, environmental, and time-saving benefits, as well as boosting residents' pride. Initially, we will support only commuters during rush hours, and then gradually expand the program.

So Jongseop: I'm curious-where will the funding come from?

Yang Gidae: Who am I? I developed an abandoned mine that attracted 1.42 million visitors in 2016, created 500 jobs a year, and generated about 8 billion won in revenue. Currently, 1.6 million people use The Gyeonggi Pass. For those 1.6 million users, in this year's case, the government provided 110 billion won, and Gyeonggi Province and 30 cities and counties provided another 110 billion won. Based on these estimates, the total cost is projected to be around 300 billion won.

First, national funding will continue. The proportion of national funding is increasing from 30% to 50%, so we will utilize that. Second, there is a traffic congestion charge, which can be adjusted, and automobile-related bonds can be restructured. More importantly, in 2025, Gyeonggi Province's budget for carbon reduction and climate response is as much as 2.6 trillion won. Among that, there are event-related or non-essential expenses that need to be streamlined. Rather than raising taxes, I plan to uncover and reallocate existing funds and make good use of national funding to push this initiative forward. After discussing with experts and studying overseas cases, I am confident that this is feasible and will be a good promise for structural change.

Former Assemblyman Yang attended the book talk hosted by Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong District, and formed a consensus. Photo by Yang Gidae

So Jongseop: You also attended the book talk hosted by Jung Wonoh, Mayor of Seongdong District, recently, right?

Yang Gidae: When I was serving my second term as Mayor of Gwangmyeong, Mayor Jung Wonoh was a first-term mayor of Seongdong District. We talked about this: One reason politics is distrusted is that politicians focus on words, but sometimes you need to go deep into the community and party members to truly understand what people want, and sometimes to present a bold vision for the city's or country's future. As grassroots local government leaders, Mayor Jung and I have both achieved such results and accumulated experience. That's why we agreed that we should play a role in changing Korean politics and administration. President Lee Jaemyung has already taken that path, and we believe that contributing to this broader trend will be a significant step forward.

So Jongseop: I'm curious about your relationship with President Lee Jaemyung and your personal connection with Party Leader Jung Chungrae.

Frank Advice to Lee Jaemyung: He Should Have Responded More Wisely

Yang Gidae: I think the distinction between pro-Lee and non-pro-Lee factions is now meaningless. President Lee Jaemyung is already in office. For his administration to succeed, the people must be able to live comfortable lives. In that sense, dividing into factions is an outdated frame. I believe it's an issue where the Democratic Party and the broader progressive camp must unite. We need to engage more deeply with party members.

President Lee Jaemyung and I have known each other for nearly 20 years, since our time as mayors of Seongnam and Gwangmyeong, respectively. However, when Lee was party leader, I was quite critical. It wasn't out of any personal animosity. I rarely criticized Lee as an individual. My intention was to offer constructive criticism within the party so that the Democratic Party could do better. ... Recently, as I've gotten older and gone through various experiences, I sometimes wonder if I should have handled things more wisely back then.

Some of my criticism may have been too harsh or open to misunderstanding, which I regret. That's in the past, and now what's important is the success of the Lee Jaemyung administration, a landslide victory for the Democratic Party in next year's local elections, and that Yang Gidae works diligently and responsibly within the party.

Worked with President Lee Jaemyung and Leader Jung Chungrae in the "Jeongtongdeul" Group (Those Connected to Jeong Dongyoung)

So Jongseop: You also have various connections with Leader Jung Chungrae, right?

Yang Gidae: Officially, we first met running in the 17th general election in 2004. I lost in Gwangmyeong, while Leader Jung was elected in Mapo. That was when Jeong Dongyoung was chair of the Uri Party. In 2007, at the presidential campaign camp for Jeong Dongyoung, then the presidential candidate of the Uri Party, I worked together with Assemblyman Jung Chungrae and lawyer Lee Jaemyung. We called ourselves "Jeongtongdeul" (Those Connected to Jeong Dongyoung). We know each other very well. Leader Jung is now leading the movement to amend the party constitution for a "one member, one vote" system to empower party members. I think that's the right direction, and ahead of the election, the party should unite as one team around the party leader. Now, the party leader should communicate well with the president, and the Democratic Party and its leader should support the success of the Lee Jaemyung administration. I want to emphasize that the so-called "Myung-Cheong conflict" is not desirable.

So Jongseop: What are your thoughts on your competitors in the Gyeonggi gubernatorial primary? Recent polls suggest Governor Kim Dongyeon, Choo Mi-ae, and Han Junho are leading.

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Yang Gidae: People say that Governor Kim Dongyeon spent a long time at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and also served as Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs. "Because of that, when an important project comes up, he first worries about the finances and whether there are sufficient resources." But I think differently. For me, the starting point should be whether the project can improve residents' lives. That's where I see a difference.

Assemblywoman Choo has served as party leader and minister, and is an outstanding female political leader in Korea. During the recent process of holding those responsible for rebellion accountable, she responded decisively, which resonated with the public. She also came to Hanam in Gyeonggi Province during the 2024 general election. I believe she will do well with her experience and political capabilities. However, Gyeonggi Province is the largest and most complex local government, so it remains to be seen whether she can quickly get a handle on things and fundamentally transform the province.

So Jongseop: What do you think of Assemblyman Han Junho?

Will Play a Leading Role Through Policy

Yang Gidae: He's young, ambitious, a former announcer, and very popular. If he prepares thoroughly and makes a splash, the primary could become even more dynamic. I hope we can recognize each other's strengths and compete based on our policies. I intend to play a leading role with good policies.

So Jongseop: Who do you think will be the People Power Party candidate for Gyeonggi Governor?

Yang Gidae: Assemblywoman Kim Eunhye is often mentioned, as are Assemblyman Ahn Cheolsoo, former Assemblyman Yoo Seungmin, and sometimes even former leader Han Donghoon. They are all formidable candidates. The Democratic Party should select a candidate with the general election in mind, and I hope our party members and residents consider that during the primary process.

So Jongseop: How do you predict next year's local elections will turn out?

Yang Gidae: As long as the party fields strong candidates for Seoul Mayor, Gyeonggi Governor, and Incheon Mayor through intense internal competition, I believe the Democratic Party will achieve good results without major issues. However, politics is unpredictable. For example, if Jang Donghyuk, who currently leads the Yoon Again faction, apologizes for the rebellion and joins forces with Lee Junseok, Han Donghoon, and others, anything could happen. No one can predict what might unfold in that scenario.