Jeong Dalseong, Special Advisor to Democratic Party Leader, Announces Candidacy for Gwangju Buk-gu Mayor

Diagnosing Population Decline, Super-Aging, and Climate Disasters
"Innovation Beyond Conventional Methods Is Needed"

Jeong Dalseong, special advisor to the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea and a prospective candidate for Buk-gu mayor, has officially announced his candidacy for Buk-gu mayor in Gwangju ahead of the 2026 local elections.

According to political sources on January 6, Jeong held a press conference in front of Buk-gu Office the previous day, stating, "Buk-gu stands at the center of a transformative era marked by population decline, super-aging, climate disasters, and technological innovation. It is difficult to overcome these crises with conventional methods; bold innovation is necessary."

Jeong Dalseong, special advisor to the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, held a press conference in front of Buk-gu Office in Gwangju on the 5th and announced his candidacy for the Buk-gu mayor.

Jeong cited the need for a transformation in political and administrative approaches as the background for his candidacy. He referenced administrative innovations under President Lee Jaemyung during his tenure as mayor of Seongnam and resident participation policies under Mayor Jeong Wonoh of Seongdong-gu, emphasizing, "Innovation is not about speed, but about taking responsibility to the very end."

Jeong explained that after graduating from the College of Education, he gave up a teaching career and settled in Buk-gu, where he has worked for over ten years as a community and civic activist. He developed practical models for resource circulation policies and climate crisis response, and said his experience of 1,425 days of activism demanding the truth about the Sewol Ferry disaster led him to enter local politics.

Jeong presented a comprehensive restructuring of the urban structure as his core vision for Buk-gu. He mentioned the relocation of Gwangju Station and the 31st Division, proposing: ▲ reviewing the relocation of Gwangju Station in connection with the Dalbit Railway and transforming the existing railway into a green corridor, and ▲ utilizing the former 31st Division site as an AI-based smart city.

Jeong also outlined five key policy directions: ▲ economic growth and job creation through an AI-driven transformation, ▲ enhancing the welfare system across all life stages and introducing phased free welfare for infants and young children, ▲ revitalizing the local economy through tourism and culture, ▲ safety and inclusion policies such as the Urban Flood ZERO Project, and ▲ governance innovation that makes resident participation a routine part of administration.

Jeong stated, "I will be a participatory mayor who works with residents and finds answers in the field," adding, "I will realize a people-centered Buk-gu that achieves progress through AI and is completed through innovation."