[Ruling Party Leader Kim Min-seok] Suwon Lawmakers Smile... 'Suwon's Three Major Issues' Draw Attention

As National Assemblyman Kim Min-seok(Yeongdeungpo-eul District)was elected as the new leader of the Democratic Party, attention is being drawn to the actions of Suwon-area lawmakers who showed support or favorable stances toward Chairman Kim during the party convention process.

According to political circles on the 17th, Suwon-area lawmakers took Kim Min-seok's side early in this party convention process.

Assemblyman Kim Jun-hyeok (Suwon-jeong District) publicly declared his support both online and offline and participated in key events of candidate Kim. Assemblyman Kim Seung-won (Suwon-gap District) accompanied candidate Kim's announcement of candidacy in Gwangju last month and also attended a National Assembly press conference on the same day. Assemblyman Yeom Tae-young (Suwon-mu District) publicly called for candidate Jung Cheong-rae to withdraw his candidacy for party leader immediately after the June local elections.

Assemblyman Kim Young-jin(Suwon-byeong District)expressed a negative stance on the candidate Jung's reelection candidacy, and Assemblywoman Baek Hye-ryeon(Suwon-eul District)has not made an explicit public endorsement of Chairman Kim, but when Chairman Kim visited Suwon on the 14th, she participated in schedules at Motgol Market and Haenggung-dong.

As a result, in Suwon, no prominent figures among incumbent lawmakers stood at opposing political ends with the new party leader. While there were differences in the strength of support for Chairman Kim during the party convention process, no Suwon incumbent lawmakers have been confirmed to have publicly expressed support for candidate Jung, instead participating in joint events with or publicly supporting Chairman Kim.

The connection between Chairman Kim and Suwon existed before the party convention. Notably, Suwon City presented key pending issues requiring central government support, which Chairman Kim directly received during his tenure as Prime Minister.

Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun met with Prime Minister Kim Min-seok when he visited the Suwon Convention Center in Youngtong-gu in January and delivered a request letter containing three key pending issues related to Suwon's future growth foundation, requesting government-level support.

The projects that Suwon City proposed to Prime Minister Kim at that time are:▲Pursuing a national strategic project of 'civilian-military integration, international economic airport' through relocation of Suwon military airport▲Designation of a national advanced industry research special zone and Suwon Economic Free Zone (K-Silicon Valley)▲Designation of King Jeongjo's royal procession as a 'national representative K-Festival' and intensive development of K-Culture Road, totaling three areas.

The biggest pending issue is the relocation of Suwon military airport. At that time, Suwon City requested that Prime Minister Kim pursue military airport relocation beyond a simple military facility relocation as a 'civilian-military integration, international economic airport' national strategic project.

Specifically, it requested the composition and operation of a 'Suwon Military Airport Relocation Conflict Coordination Council' under the Prime Minister's Office, and asked the government to comprehensively pursue military airport relocation in connection with metropolitan area housing supply and expansion of metropolitan transportation networks.

The military airport relocation issue is also intertwined with the Gyeonggi International Airport project. Gyeonggi Province has submitted a business proposal to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport requesting the inclusion of Gyeonggi International Airport in the 7th Airport Development Comprehensive Plan, but there are variables in project implementation, such as candidate site-related studies being suspended. As the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport aims to announce the 7th Airport Development Comprehensive Plan in the second half of this year, whether Gyeonggi International Airport is reflected in the plan is drawing attention as a major local pending issue.

Five National Assemblymen from the Suwon area also held a joint press conference in March demanding the inclusion of Gyeonggi International Airport in the 7th Airport Development Comprehensive Plan.

Second is the designation of Suwon Economic Free Zone. Suwon City is pursuing economic free zone designation centered on the R&D Science Park in West Suwon and the Tapdong Innovation Valley to create a 'K-Silicon Valley'. Suwon was previously selected as a candidate site for an economic free zone and is proceeding with final designation procedures.

Suwon City proposed both economic free zone and national advanced industry research special zone designations to Prime Minister Kim, while also presenting a model for national balanced development in which 'research is conducted in Suwon and manufacturing takes place in local areas'.

Third is the designation of King Jeongjo's royal procession as a national representative K-Festival.

Suwon City proposed to Prime Minister Kim the designation of King Jeongjo's royal procession as a 'national representative K-Festival' and requested national financial support to develop it from a local festival into a global cultural tourism content. The city also requested intensive development of a 'K-Culture Road' centered on King Jeongjo's royal procession.

The request letter submitted by Suwon City to Prime Minister Kim explicitly states the goal of developing King Jeongjo's royal procession into a global festival. Recognizing that it is a historical and cultural content connecting multiple regions including Seoul and Hwaseong beyond Suwon alone, the vision is to expand it into a national-level tourism and cultural project.

As Chairman Kim transitions from Prime Minister to ruling party leader, his role in addressing Suwon's pending issues is expected to change. Whereas he previously received Suwon City's requests at the government level as Prime Minister, he will now coordinate the party's stance in policy consultations with the government and in legislative and budgetary processes as ruling party leader.

Currently, all five districts in Suwon are held by Democratic Party National Assemblymen. With the President, Gyeonggi Province Governor, and Suwon Mayor all belonging to the Democratic Party, and with Chairman Kim, who coordinated with Suwon-area lawmakers during the party convention process, now leading the ruling party, assessments indicate that political conditions have been created to advance Suwon's pending issues.

A local political circles insider said, “From the President to five regional National Assemblymen, the Gyeonggi Province Governor, and the Suwon Mayor, to the ruling party leader, Suwon now has political conditions to push forward major pending issues with momentum”and “since Chairman Kim already received Suwon's key pending issues during his tenure as Prime Minister, what is important is how concrete major pending issues such as military airport relocation and economic free zone designation can be materialized through party-government consultations and legislative and budgetary processes”he said.