Oh Hah-geun Announces Pledges for 250,000 Won Citizen Dividend, Innovation City

Oh Hah-geun, a preliminary candidate for Suncheon Mayor from the Democratic Party, announced pledges for regional economic revitalization, signaling his intention to run for mayor. Candidate Oh promised to distribute 250,000 won annually to all citizens and to attract a cluster of semiconductor-related companies and research facilities, as well as an innovation city to create jobs. He asserted that these policies would contribute to regional economic vitalization and the strengthening of the future industrial base.

With the June 3rd local elections approximately two months away, the primary election landscape for the Democratic Party is becoming clearer. Oh Hah-geun, who is challenging for the Suncheon mayoral seat for the second time following the previous local elections, stated his priority would be on the public livelihood economy.

Candidate Oh diagnosed Suncheon's livelihood economy as struggling, particularly among self-employed individuals and small business owners. He pointed out that Suncheon has over 40,000 sole proprietors and that, according to 2024 statistics, more than 4,000 businesses close down annually. Oh criticized the current city administration for its performative governance and lack of communication.

Oh Hah-geun, who graduated from Gwangju Inseong High School and Korea University with a degree in Sociology, stated that he built his philosophy of democracy through his experiences in student, labor, and civic movements. He also highlighted his strengths as practical economic and budget management experience, gained from working at a large corporation, starting his own self-employed and small/medium businesses, and handling budgets exceeding 14 trillion won as a member of the South Jeolla Provincial Council.

As major pledges, Oh Hah-geun, the preliminary Democratic Party candidate for Suncheon Mayor, proposed the establishment of a semiconductor cluster and an innovation city. Drawing on his experience working for a large corporation and managing a hospital, he stated he would lead Suncheon City's administration, which operates with an annual budget of 2 trillion won and approximately 2,300 public officials. Candidate Oh proposed the payment of an annual 250,000 won citizen dividend as his first pledge. He explained this as an extension of his pledge from four years ago to provide a 1 million won subsidy per person, aimed at revitalizing the local economy and supporting small business owners. Oh also revealed his vision for achieving a megacity of 1 million people by creating a special united city of Yeosu, Suncheon, and Gwangyang, along with plans to supply housing for 10,000 won per month for young adults and newlyweds.