Only a ruling party mayor can redesign Pohang’s future amid economic crisis
[The Fact | Pohang = Park Jin-hong] Park Hee-jung, a Democratic Party city councilor, officially announced her candidacy for Pohang mayor in the upcoming June 3 local elections on February 10.
At a press conference in Pohang City Hall’s briefing room, Park stated, “Pohang is facing unprecedented challenges. I am running for mayor to reimagine Pohang’s future.”
She emphasized, “The dominance of a single party in regional politics has hindered Pohang’s progress. As a ruling party mayor working in sync with the central government, I aim to overcome this crisis.”
Park underscored the need for a ruling party mayor by presenting statistics on Pohang’s population, employment, and business closures.
She noted, “The population has declined from 519,000 in 2014 to 488,000 in 2025. The steel complex workforce has also shrunk from 16,000 to 13,000.”
“The employment rate in early 2025 stands at 59.6%, below the national average of 61.4%, while unemployment has risen to 3.3%. The business closure rate in 2024 was 10.7%,” Park added.
She appealed for support, asserting, “Only a ruling party mayor collaborating closely with the central government can address the crisis in Pohang’s steel industry and other challenges.”
A Pohang native, Park Hee-jung graduated from Pohang Jungang High School, Dongguk University, and Dongguk University Graduate School. She has served three terms as a councilor and chaired the Democratic Party’s Pohang Nam-gu and Ulleung-gun district committee.
tk@tf.co.kr
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