Kim Kyoung-soo Urges Revival of B-U-G Megacity

Kim Kyoung-soo, a candidate for Gyeongnam Governor from the Democratic Party of Korea, called for the immediate revival of the B-U-G (Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongnam) Megacity project. Candidate Kim stated that Gyeongnam needs a 'powerful governor' who can cooperate with the central government, rather than a 'caretaker governor,' and pledged to seize the last opportunity to work with President Lee Jae-myung, who is serious about revitalizing local regions, through victory in the June 3rd local elections.

Candidate Kim evaluated Park Wan-soo, a candidate from the People Power Party, as having made mistakes by rejecting innovation and operating provincial administration with an administrative bureaucrat's mindset. He specifically pointed out that Park missed an opportunity by abandoning a support MOU worth 36 trillion won for 70 projects, which had been agreed upon with the central government during the formation of the B-U-G Megacity.

He declared the immediate revival of the B-U-G Megacity as his top priority if elected, outlining plans to create a 30-minute living area across the entire B-U-G region through the early completion of the Western Gyeongnam KTX, extension of the Geoje-Kadukdo new airport, high-speed KTX for Eastern Gyeongnam, a metropolitan express railway for the Southern Coast region, and the early commencement of the Dalbit Railway. He emphasized that as the Chairman of the Local Autonomy Committee, he understands President Lee Jae-myung's commitment to supporting local regions better than anyone else, and as a powerful governor, he would bring in budgets and authority from the central government.

The official campaign period for the June 3rd local elections began nationwide at midnight on the 21st. This election is the first nationwide election since the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration, electing a total of 4,241 public officials, including metropolitan mayors and governors. Candidate Kim mentioned that discussions with the Progressive Party candidate Jeon Hee-young regarding unification are ongoing, and efforts are being made to bridge the differences in opinions.