Governor Oh Taewan of Uiryeong Gains Bipartisan Support for Joint Sponsorship and Legislation of the '4·26 Special Act'

Joint Bill Proposal to Park Sangung and Jeon Yonggi

Request for Party-Level Support on National Projects to Jeong Jeongsik

Oh Taewan, Governor of Uiryeong County in South Gyeongsang Province, has officially launched efforts to establish a special law, a long-standing wish of the bereaved families of the Uiryeong 4·26 Incident.

The Uiryeong 4·26 Incident refers to the 1982 mass shooting by Police Officer Woo Bum-gon, which resulted in the deaths of 56 local residents.

Park Sang-ung, a member of the People Power Party, and Oh Tae-wan, mayor of Uiryeong County.
[Photo by Uiryeong County]

After holding the first-ever memorial and remembrance ceremony in 2024, 42 years after the incident, Uiryeong County has continued to pursue various initiatives to honor the victims and support their families, including the creation of the 4·26 Memorial Park last year.

On July 22, Governor Oh visited the National Assembly, where he met consecutively with Park Sangung, a People Power Party lawmaker representing the constituency, and Jeon Yonggi, a Democratic Party lawmaker originally from Uiryeong. He explained the need for establishing a special law and requested bipartisan cooperation from the National Assembly to pass the legislation.

O Taewan, Mayor of Uiryeong County, and Jeon Yonggi, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.
Photo by Uiryeong County

Both lawmakers agreed on the need to restore the honor of the victims and their families and to provide the legal basis for state-level support, expressing their intention to promote the bill together, including as joint sponsors. With lawmakers from both the constituency and Uiryeong, regardless of party affiliation, joining forces, the drive for the special law has gained further momentum.

Governor Oh then met with Jeong Jeongsik, floor leader of the People Power Party, and requested party-level support for Uiryeong County’s core national projects.

During his National Assembly visit, Governor Oh also discussed not only the special law, but key national initiatives for Uiryeong County. He explained the need to extend the North-South 6th axis expressway route and establish a new Uiryeong Interchange (IC), and requested active parliamentary support for including these plans in government projects. Additionally, regarding the establishment of the National Dictionary Museum, he proposed that the government allocate funds for the basic planning and feasibility study.

Jeong Jeomsik, member of the People Power Party, and Oh Taewan, mayor of Uiryeong County. [Photo by Uiryeong County]

Governor Oh Taewan stated, "The key issues that will determine Uiryeong’s future must be addressed together, beyond political parties. I will cooperate closely with the National Assembly to ensure visible results for our residents—by passing the special law, which has long been desired by bereaved families, promoting national projects, and securing the necessary budget."

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