People Power Party lawmaker Choi Eunseok (Daegu Dong-gu and Gunwi-gun Gap) received the Grand Prize at the "Republic of Korea Voters Awards" ceremony held at the main auditorium of the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 10th.
This awards ceremony was co-hosted by Voters' Civic Action and the Korean National Council of Women Voters, and was organized to reaffirm voters' rights and responsibilities and to recognize the achievements of elected officials who have pursued livelihood-centered policies.
The "Republic of Korea Voters Awards" selects recipients based on policy achievements directly linked to people's lives, such as revitalizing neighborhood commercial districts. It is meaningful in that it highlights individuals who have contributed to spreading a policy-centered election culture and realizing responsible politics.
Choi Eunseok has consistently carried out "field-oriented parliamentary activities" that prioritize voices from the field. In the legislative arena, he has focused on revitalizing neighborhood commercial districts and the local economy. In particular, he is credited with laying the institutional foundation for supporting small business owners and reviving the local real estate market by sponsoring as the lead lawmaker an amendment to the Restriction of Special Taxation Act, which raises the income tax deduction rate for credit card spending at traditional markets by 10 percentage points, and an amendment to the Restriction of Special Local Taxation Act, which expands acquisition tax reduction benefits, previously limited to depopulated areas, to all regions outside the Seoul metropolitan area.
In addition, Choi Eunseok achieved a significant milestone by securing approximately 57 billion won in state funds, based on total project costs, for six regional projects. These include future new industry projects such as the establishment of the Dongdaegu Venture Valley AI Tech Port, strengthening AI capabilities for innovative small business owners, and promoting startups in robot-based spatial computing, as well as the reconstruction of the Dongchon Police Precinct, fostering Daegu's specialized publishing industry, and promoting the design industry. Through these, a foundation has been established to simultaneously strengthen regional industrial competitiveness and improve living infrastructure.
Furthermore, with Daegu being selected in the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' public contest for the "Region-Led AI Grand Transformation Project," a large-scale project worth a total of 23.6 billion won, including 14 billion won in state funds, is expected to move forward. During the selection process, Choi's all-out support played a significant role, and the creation of the "Daegu AI Innovation Center" utilizing the former Dongdaegu Fire Station site is now expected to gain full momentum. The center is anticipated to become a key driving force in the future by supporting companies' AI transformation, fully equipping data and demonstration infrastructure, and enabling Dongdaegu Venture Valley to emerge as a regional AI innovation hub.
Choi Eunseok said, "I am grateful for being given such a meaningful award," adding, "I will continue to develop policies that help the people based on voices from the field and repay this recognition through responsible parliamentary activities."
This award is seen as the result of high recognition for Choi Eunseok's field-oriented parliamentary activities, in line with the broader trend of expanding voter participation and establishing a policy-centered political culture.
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