Kim Minseok to Announce Bid for Party Leadership at Gwangju Air Force Base...First Strategic Move in Honam Region

Visiting the Integrated City for a May 18 Memorial and Candidacy Launch
Around Ten Democratic Party Lawmakers Expected to Attend
"The Three Major Mega Projects Are a Historic Gamble"
Emphasizing Commitment to Balanced Regional Development

Former Prime Minister Kim Minseok will visit Gwangju, Jeonnam-Gwangju Metropolitan Special City on July 6 to announce his candidacy for the Democratic Party leadership. He is scheduled to pay his respects at the May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Gwangju and officially declare his candidacy at the Gwangju Air Force Base. This move is seen as an effort to appeal to both the core policy of national balanced development under the Lee Jaemyung administration and the public sentiment in the Honam region.

According to political sources on July 4, Kim is expected to officially announce his candidacy for the party leadership at the August 17 National Convention after visiting the May 18 Democratic Cemetery and Gwangju Air Force Base on July 6. It has been reported that around ten Democratic Party lawmakers representing the Jeonnam-Gwangju Metropolitan Special City will join him for the announcement.

The Gwangju Air Force Base has been mentioned as a candidate site for the semiconductor production hub in the southwest region, which is one of South Korea's "three major mega projects" being promoted by the Lee Jaemyung administration. President Lee also visited the Gwangju Air Force Base in person on June 30 after the "Southwest High-Tech Industry Development Vision National Briefing" to review plans for the project.

Former leader of the Democratic Party Jeong Cheong-rae (left), former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, and Congressman Song Young-gil are attending the Democratic Party of Korea Members of Parliament Workshop held at a hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 3rd, clapping their hands. Photo by Yonhap News

The Jeonnam-Gwangju Metropolitan Special City officially launched on July 1 as the first administrative integration model under the Lee Jaemyung administration's national balanced development policy. Observers interpret Kim's decision to consider the integrated special city and the Gwangju Air Force Base as the location for his first candidacy declaration after returning to the party as a move to both solidify party support in the Honam region and express his commitment to supporting the core policy agenda of the Lee administration.

Former Prime Minister Minseok Kim posted on social media platform X on the 4th that he spent his first weekend after stepping down as prime minister in Iksan, Jeonbuk, sharing his vision for balanced regional development and the "Three Major Mega Projects of the Republic of Korea." Screenshot from Minseok Kim's X page

On the same day, Kim also emphasized his vision for balanced regional development through a post on his X account. Noting that he was spending his first weekend after stepping down as Prime Minister in Iksan, Jeollabuk-do, he wrote, "The three major mega projects involving leading corporations such as Samsung and SK, together with the government, represent a historic gambit for both the Lee Jaemyung administration and South Korea." He continued, "Ultimately, this will mark the beginning of a great leap forward for all regions," and stressed, "In new circumstances and conditions, realizing such opportunities for advancement is the role of both politics and administration." He also wrote, "Spending my first weekend after stepping down as Prime Minister in Iksan, I am envisioning a new leap not only for Iksan but also for Jeollabuk-do and, furthermore, for all of South Korea."

It is also known that Kim is considering making a second candidacy declaration in Seoul after his announcement in Gwangju. Gwanghwamun has been mentioned as a possible location for the Seoul event. Political analysts see this "two-track campaign launch," linking the Honam region and the capital area, as a strategy to simultaneously target party members and the broader public.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.