Gyeongsangbuk-do Governor Lee Cheolwoo Announces Bid for Third Term: "Fully Recovered from Cancer in Six Months"

Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do, announced on December 11 that he intends to run for a third term as governor.

At a press conference held at 2 p.m. that day at the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Government Office, Governor Lee stated, "I was diagnosed with cancer last May, but I was declared fully cured after just six months." He expressed his intention to run for a third term, saying, "With the strength I gained from surviving miraculously, I will devote myself to the development of Gyeongsangbuk-do."

Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province

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An official from Gyeongsangbuk-do commented, "Since Governor Lee Cheolwoo, who is serving his second term, has been battling cancer this year, whether he would run for a third term has been the biggest topic of discussion in the local political scene. It is now seen that Governor Lee, who had remained silent until now, has made his stance on running for a third term clear."

Governor Lee also recalled, "In the past, when I ran for the National Assembly in Gimcheon, I once won an election despite being at a 24 to 55 disadvantage."

He further revealed, "During his presidency, President Yoon Suk-yeol once asked me to serve as Prime Minister," and added, "When I was a National Assembly member, I met President Lee Jaemyung, who was then the mayor of Seongnam, and I remember being impressed by how remarkable he was."

Governor Lee went on to say, "Regarding the TK New Airport, for which the government refused to provide funding from the Confucius Fund, I twice proposed to Daegu City that we start the project with 1 trillion won each from Daegu, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and the central government, but both times my proposal was rejected. Gyeongsangbuk-do has also completed discussions with the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation to borrow 1 trillion won at an annual interest rate of 3.5%," he reported.

Regarding reports that President Lee Jaemyung proposed an administrative integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk, Governor Lee commented, "With the local elections approaching next year, it is now too late."

He added, "Administrative integration is difficult to achieve voluntarily due to differing opinions. It would require the enactment of a general law to enforce it, but with the local elections only six months away, it is now too late." Governor Lee further stated, "The integration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk should be pursued with Daegu as the commercial center and Gyeongbuk as the administrative center."

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