Gwangmyeong Mayor Seungwon Park: "When Local Regions Thrive, the Nation Thrives"... Announces Bid for Democratic Party Supreme Council

Korea Democratic Leaders Council for Decentralization Officially Nominates Park
Park: "Supporting the Lee Jaemyung Administration through Decentralization"

"When local governments thrive, the nation prospers; when the frontlines are strong, the Democratic Party is strong."

On July 12, Seungwon Park, Mayor of Gwangmyeong, declared his candidacy for the Supreme Council of the Democratic Party of Korea, presenting "autonomous decentralization" as his key theme. His vision is to reflect the policy experience of local governments within the party leadership, thereby supporting the governance of President Lee Jaemyung's administration and driving innovation within the Democratic Party.

Seungwon Park, Mayor of Gwangmyeong. Provided by Gwangmyeong City

The Korea Democratic Leaders Council for Decentralization (KDLC) held an event in the main conference hall of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on this day, officially nominating Mayor Park, who serves as its executive representative, as a Supreme Council candidate and hearing policy presentations from the party’s leadership contenders.

The event was attended by KDLC members, Democratic Party members, citizens, National Assembly members, and candidates for party leader. Ko Minjung, Kim Minseok, Kim Bomi, Song Younggil, and Jung Chungrae—all running for party leader—also presented their policy visions in turn.

In his acceptance speech, Mayor Park stated, "I am running in the Supreme Council election to unite the will of local governments, local councils, and grassroots party members who have worked alongside residents in all 226 cities, counties, and districts nationwide, in order to build a stronger Democratic Party."

Mayor Park said, "The success of the Lee Jaemyung government, which is based on the sovereignty of the people, will ultimately be achieved on the ground. The party leadership responsible for policy design must include those with direct experience in implementing policies at the local government level."

He continued, "President Lee Jaemyung is the first president of Korea to have experience in both basic and metropolitan administration, as well as legislation, having served as a head of a basic local government. Leadership that has been proven in closest proximity to citizens’ daily lives is now a source of competitiveness in national governance."

Mayor Park characterized his candidacy not as a personal political challenge but as a mission to strengthen autonomous decentralization. He said, "For the past ten years, KDLC has practiced the values of decentralization and led innovation among Democratic Party local governments. We will respond to the demands of the times by ensuring the voices of localities are represented in the party leadership."

If elected to the Supreme Council, Mayor Park pledged to pursue the following core initiatives: ▲ constitutional amendments for a decentralized system and the strengthening of local governments’ constitutional status; ▲ nationwide expansion of livelihood policies that have been proven effective in the field; and ▲ enhancement of party member sovereignty and the cultivation of grassroots talent.

Mayor Park emphasized, "Local governments are not the lowest rung of national administration—they are where policy begins. I will spread policies that have proven successful in Democratic Party-led local governments, including Gwangmyeong, as national standards and build a democratic party where members’ opinions are reflected at all times."

He reiterated, "When local governments thrive, the nation prospers; when the frontlines are strong, the Democratic Party is strong. I will become the most steadfast Supreme Council member from the grassroots, dedicating all my efforts to the success of the Lee Jaemyung administration, innovation within the Democratic Party, and the realization of a fully decentralized nation."

Mayor Park also appealed for support from party members, saying, "Please join me in building a Democratic Party that delves even deeper into the lives of citizens, and a party that earns the public’s trust through competence and results."

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