Democratic Party's Choi Changyeol Announces Candidacy for Geochang County Governor Election

"Transforming Geochang into a Resident-Centered County
... Promoting 100 Billion Won in Basic Income"

Choi Changyeol of the Democratic Party of Korea, a prospective candidate for Geochang County governor and former head of the Geochang Livestock Cooperative, held a press conference in the briefing room of Geochang County Office and officially announced his candidacy for the 9th popularly elected Geochang County governor election.

On February 26, Choi declared in his announcement, "I will shift the direction from a Geochang centered on administration to a Geochang centered on residents, and from an era of construction-oriented development to an era of nurturing people."

Photo of Choi Changyeol, prospective candidate for Geochang County governor, at a press conference announcing his candidacy.

He went on to say, "We must break away from past inertia and move forward on a new path," emphasizing that the standards for running county affairs would be based not on administrative convenience but on residents' lives and future.

He presented "Basic Society Geochang" as his first vision and put rural basic income forward as his key pledge. Choi stated, "The solution to local extinction lies in income that directly reaches residents' lives," adding, "I will open an era of 100 billion won in basic income and a 1 trillion won budget."

He also proposed plans for administrative innovation. He said, "I will end the administration in which the county office decides and the towns and townships follow, and change it to a structure in which the towns and townships decide and the county takes responsibility," adding, "I will move away from desk-bound administration and shift to field-oriented administration."

In the areas of youth and agriculture, he pledged to promote innovation in smart farming and strengthen settlement conditions to transform Geochang from a place where people 'learn and leave' into a Geochang where people 'settle down.' He also stated that he would create a community where seniors are respected by supporting second-life careers for the 50-plus generation and promoting the socialization of care.

Choi said, "I will not be a county governor who merely allocates the budget, but a managerial county governor who fills the coffers," vowing to expand fiscal resources and run county affairs with a focus on future investment. He concluded his declaration by saying, "I will make Geochang a place where everyone smiles brightly."