Lee Gae-ho, a Democratic Party member of the National Assembly representing Damyang, Hampyeong, Yeonggwang, and Jangseong, has officially announced his bid for Mayor of the proposed Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City. This new role would oversee the integrated administration of Jeonnam and Gwangju.
Lee held back-to-back press conferences on the 10th at the Jeonnam Provincial Council and Gwangju City Council. He emphasized that merging Gwangju and Jeonnam is not optional but crucial for the region’s survival. “We aim to establish a ‘Southern Capital’ as a pioneering model for locally-driven national development,” Lee stated.
Lee cited the Honam region’s structural crisis as his motivation for running. He explained, “Gwangju’s growth is slowing, while Jeonnam faces extinction due to rapid aging and population decline. Without combining Gwangju’s innovation with Jeonnam’s potential, we can’t overcome the concentration of resources in the Seoul metropolitan area.”
Lee clarified that the goal of administrative integration goes beyond mere expansion, focusing on enhancing citizens’ quality of life. “The integrated city should be more than just a larger urban area. It must evolve into a thriving community where residents experience tangible improvements in their daily lives,” he asserted. Lee pledged to develop a major urban center in the southern region capable of rivaling Seoul.
Lee outlined three key priorities for realizing the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City vision: establishing energy independence and promoting local production for local consumption, implementing a tiered electricity pricing system, and securing 20% of the proposed 150 trillion KRW (about 112.5 billion USD) National Growth Fund. He also presented four regional development strategies: creating an AI hub in Gwangju, revitalizing Jeonnam’s eastern region as a global economic and cultural center, developing the southwestern part of Jeonnam as a hub for renewable energy, maritime logistics, and fisheries, and establishing income safety nets for rural areas.
Positioning himself as the ideal candidate to lead the integrated city, Lee highlighted his extensive experience in both administration and politics. He emphasized his background as a civil service exam graduate with over 30 years of experience in Jeonnam and federal agencies. Lee also pointed to his four terms as a National Assembly member, his tenure as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and his role in party leadership. “I’ve worked alongside President Lee Jae-myung in shaping national policies. I’ll leverage my political acumen to secure the necessary funding and authority for our integrated city,” Lee stated.
Lee declared, “Unifying and transforming Gwangju and Jeonnam will be the crowning achievement of my political career.” He appealed for support, pledging to “dedicate all my efforts to ensuring a sustainable future for our region.”
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