Former Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority President Park Seonghyun Announces Bid for Gwangyang Mayor

"'Corporate CEO-Style Leadership'... Will Achieve an Economic Great Transition"

Former Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority president Park Seonghyun officially declared his candidacy for mayor of Gwangyang in the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections at 11:00 a.m. on the 23rd, in front of the memorial stone for Seolseong Kim Joungho at Usan Park in Gwangyang-eup.

In his declaration of candidacy, Park explained his reason for running, stating, "Gwangyang is now standing at a critical crossroads where the existing industrial structure centered on steel and ports is stagnating and the real economy is falling into a deeper slump," and adding, "We are in desperate need of future-oriented 'corporate CEO-style leadership' that goes beyond status quo-oriented administrative management and designs the next 30 years of Gwangyang."

Park Seonghyun, former president of the Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority, officially announced his candidacy for mayor of Gwangyang in the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections in front of the memorial for Seolseong Kim Joungho at Usan Park, Gwangyang-eup. Provided by the campaign of Park Seonghyun, preliminary candidate for Gwangyang mayor.

Presenting a vision of macroeconomic insight and an "economic great transition," Park mentioned the global AI revolution and the industrial restructuring toward a carbon-neutral society, and announced the "Gwangyang Economic Great Transition Project" for Gwangyang's new leap forward.

As key strategies, he proposed: restoring Gwangyang's status as the No. 1 economic city in the Honam region; designing an era of a 2 trillion won municipal budget; and completing a triple-cycle local economy (a virtuous cycle of investment-income-consumption). He emphasized not just simple administrative figures, but a tangible increase in real wealth that citizens can feel.

He also assessed that "it is regrettable that preemptive responses and preparations have been somewhat lacking amid the rapidly changing global environment," and presented the reduced budget size and investment-attraction performance as indicators. He stressed that "internal innovation and responsible leadership are needed to address the decline in overall integrity ratings and to restore trust in the administration."

Park went on to unveil 15 key pledges that he said would change the future of Gwangyang. Ranging from macroeconomic pledges such as supporting competency education in the AI era for all citizens and building the foundation for an AI advanced future city, a grand remodeling project for the Gwangyang-eup area, and developing Gwangyang Port as an energy hub port on the Arctic route and a K MRO industry base, to livelihood-oriented pledges such as building a medical service hub center and launching a return-to-work project for women whose careers have been interrupted, he presented a wide-ranging agenda.

In particular, Park pledged that, upon winning the election, he would immediately launch an "Emergency Economic Council for Overcoming the Gwangyang Crisis."

This would serve as an execution-focused economic control tower with participation from representatives of various sectors, and he expressed his determination "to overcome the economic crisis through action, not words."

Park appealed to voters by referring to the trajectory of his own life, saying, "From the son of a poor tenant farmer to the head of a public corporation, I will repay Gwangyang."

Born as the son of a tenant farmer in a rural village, he connected his experience in the economy, education, and maritime sectors - having been a government-funded overseas student, president of a national university, and president of a public corporation - to his "expertise in solving crises."

He pledged, "As an expert who understands both the struggles of ordinary people and the agonies of business managers, I will restore Gwangyang's pride, get the economy running again, and build a new Gwangyang, a rebounding Gwangyang, and Gwangyang as the No. 1 economic city in the Honam region."

Meanwhile, preliminary candidate Park Seonghyun is scheduled to hold an opening ceremony for his campaign office at the Con Pier four-way intersection at 2:00 p.m. on the same day, and then continue communicating with citizens by sequentially announcing detailed pledges by each of the 12 towns, townships, and neighborhoods, and by policy area.

Park Seonghyun's major career highlights include: current vice chair of the Policy Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea central party; former president of Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority; former president of Mokpo National Maritime University; and current policy advisory member to the Ministry of National Defense.