Kim Kyung-soo: 'Need a Powerful Governor Who Can Change the Game... Immediately Restore Bu-Ul-Gyeong Mega City'

Kim Kyung-soo, a candidate vying for the Gyeongnam governorship, is making a clear and forceful appeal to voters, emphasizing the critical need for strong leadership to revitalize the region. Having previously served as governor before his conviction in the Druking scandal, Kim is now back, advocating for a return to his vision for Gyeongnam. He argues that the province requires a governor with the power to reshape its future and effectively engage with the central government, rather than one content with mere day-to-day management.

“

What Gyeongnam needs now is not a 'managerial governor' but a 'powerful governor' who can change the game and cooperate with the central government.

Kim directly criticizes the current administration under Park Wan-soo, accusing it of squandering a golden opportunity by dismantling the 'Bu-Ul-Gyeong Mega City' initiative. He highlights that this project had secured Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for substantial central government support, amounting to 36 trillion won across 70 projects. The abandonment of this plan, Kim contends, represents a failure to innovate and a missed chance for significant regional development, driven by an overly bureaucratic mindset.

“

I felt heavy seeing the work I started stopped, like the early completion of the Western Gyeongnam KTX and the Bu-Ul-Gyeong Mega City.

His primary pledge, should he be elected, is the immediate restoration of the Bu-Ul-Gyeong Mega City. Central to this revival is a radical transformation of transportation infrastructure. Kim envisions connecting Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam into a cohesive 30-minute living zone through accelerated KTX projects, new express railways, and improved public transit. This ambitious plan aims to create a unified economic and living area, fostering greater collaboration and shared prosperity.

“

Park candidate abandoned the Bu-Ul-Gyeong Mega City, which had secured MOUs for 36 trillion won in support for 70 projects from the central government, and wasted that opportunity.

Kim also positions himself as uniquely qualified to leverage central government support, drawing on his experience as the former Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Local Autonomy and Administration. He claims to have a deep understanding of President Lee Jae-myung's commitment to regional development and his strategies for balanced growth. Kim asserts that his 'powerful governor' approach will be instrumental in securing the necessary funding and authority to implement his vision for Gyeongnam and the wider Bu-Ul-Gyeong region, framing the election as a final opportunity for its advancement.

“

His greatest mistake was refusing innovation and operating the provincial government with an administrative bureaucrat's mindset.