[Interview] Park Jiwon: "Passing the Pre-Feasibility Study for the Yaksan-Geumil Island Bridge Was a Nerve-Racking Experience"

"A Bridge Is More Than Transportation for Island Residents; It's the Right to Survival"

"Appealed Directly to President Lee Jaemyung and Ministers for Help"

Emphasizes Dramatic Revival Through 'One Team' Efforts with Current and Former County Mayors

"In my five terms as a member of the National Assembly, I have never experienced such anxiety. For island residents, a bridge is not just a means of transportation. It is a matter of sovereignty and the right to survival."

Jiwon Park, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea representing Haenam, Wando, and Jindo, shared these sentiments in an interview with The Asia Business Daily on August 31 regarding the construction of the 'Yaksan-Geumil Island Bridge,' a project that recently passed the preliminary feasibility study (pre-feasibility study) by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Congressman Jiwon Park is waiting for the KTX train bound for Seoul after finishing his district schedule. Photo courtesy of Congressman Park Jiwon's office.

This project, a longstanding aspiration of the residents of Wando County, was once at risk of being scrapped due to a lack of economic feasibility (B/C). However, it has been credited with making a dramatic comeback thanks to Representative Park's extensive efforts to persuade the central government.

Representative Park candidly revealed the story behind the recent success in passing the pre-feasibility study. He recalled, "Under the Lee Jaemyung administration, many projects applied for government support, but most faced rejection due to insufficient economic feasibility. The dominant opinion was that this particular project, too, would not succeed because of pessimistic initial figures."

He continued, "Amid the earnest wishes of Geumil-eup residents and county residents in Wando, I faced enormous stress and pressure," adding, "I not only met President Lee Jaemyung directly but also visited the policy chief at the Blue House and all relevant ministers, appealing to them to help us."

The core argument he presented was the 'right to survival for island residents.' Park explained, "As a person originally from an island myself, I strongly asserted to President Lee Jaemyung that the sovereignty and right to survival of island residents should not be judged solely based on economic calculations."

Behind the project's success was close cooperation with both former and current county mayors of Wando. Park shared, "I later learned that former Wando County Mayor Shin Woo-cheol earnestly requested then-Minister Park Hong-geun to build the bridge for the people of Wando before stepping down, and I was deeply grateful."

As for his relationship with the current county mayor, Kim Shin, Park pledged 'unconditional cooperation for the benefit of the residents.' He emphasized, "Since the moment I was elected, I promised to 'fight like a tiger in Seoul, but work like an ox when I am in the local area.' For the development of Wando, I will work closely with Mayor Kim, without regard for my own reputation."

Having paved the way for the Yaksan-Geumil Island Bridge project, Park is already setting his sights on other islands in Wando. He said, "Those who keep dreaming eventually achieve their dreams. With this pre-feasibility study passing as the starting point, we should allocate the national budget this year and proceed with design and groundbreaking from next year," adding, "Once the Geumil Bridge is built, the next targets will be the connections to Saengil Island, then from Nowha to Neopdo, and, step by step, we will continue expanding island bridge projects throughout Wando."

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