Former Gwangyang City Council Vice Chairman Moon Yango Declares Support for Incumbent Mayor Jeong Inhwa

Highlighting achievements such as population growth during Mayor Jeong Inhwa's tenure

On the 24th, former Gwangyang City Council Vice Chairman Moon Yango declared his support for incumbent Gwangyang Mayor Jeong Inhwa ahead of the local elections in June.

In his statement of support released on the 24th, former Vice Chairman Moon said, "My announcement in January that I would not run in the Gwangyang mayoral election was a carefully considered decision for Gwangyang's unity and a responsible future," adding, "In line with that decision, I have decided to join forces with candidate Jeong Inhwa for the uninterrupted development of Gwangyang and for regional harmony."

On the 24th, Moon Yango, former vice chairman, announced his support for Jeong Inhwa, the incumbent mayor of Gwangyang, ahead of the local elections in June. Provided by Moon Yango's office.

Former Vice Chairman Moon defined the situation currently facing Gwangyang City as an "important turning point." He said, "What Gwangyang needs now is unity, not division, and practical execution and a sense of responsibility rather than flashy slogans," stressing, "Mayor Jeong Inhwa is regarded as a proven professional administrator who has accumulated more than 30 years of broad experience in municipal, provincial, and national administration while upholding principles and balance, and he is the right person to lead the city administration in a stable manner."

In particular, the visible achievements made by Mayor Jeong Inhwa during his term played a major role in the background of this declaration of support.

Former Vice Chairman Moon cited as Mayor Jeong's key accomplishments the fact that Gwangyang recorded population growth for four consecutive years, the only such case in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province (with an increase of 2,026 people in 2024), secured 650.5 billion won in national and provincial funds, the largest amount since the city government was established (based on the 2026 budget), and issued 100 billion won worth of Gwangyang Love Gift Certificates to revitalize the local economy.

He also highly evaluated the designation of Gwangyang as an "Industrial Crisis Preemptive Response Area" in November 2025 and as an "Employment Crisis Preemptive Response Area" in February 2026, which made it possible to pursue policies for the advancement of the steel industry and for employment recovery and support through comprehensive government assistance.

In particular, he gave high marks to "Life Platform 1.0," Gwangyang City's own differentiated welfare model. This includes support for transportation costs for out-of-city medical treatment for children with severe illnesses, introduced for the first time in the country, as well as the nation's largest childbirth congratulatory grants and interest support for young people's housing loans.

In addition, he presented as grounds for his support the implementation, starting in 2026, of a living-expense scholarship program for university students to be introduced for the first time among city-level local governments nationwide (up to 3.5 million won per year), the designation of Gwangyang in February 2024 as a "Pilot Area for Educational Development Special Zone," its upgrade in October 2025 to the only "Leading Area" in South Jeolla Province, and the construction of the "Gwangyang City Public Postpartum Care Center," the largest facility of its kind in South Jeolla Province, which is scheduled for completion in March.

Former Vice Chairman Moon added, "For the livelihood and economic recovery policies pursued by the Lee Jaemyung administration to produce results, they must be backed by stable leadership at the local government level," and said, "When the central and local governments look in the same direction, Gwangyang's industry and economy will gain even greater strength."