Dynamic Leadership Needed for Suwon Beyond Its 60th Anniversary

Choi Kyou-jin (48), the Korea's Grand National Party's preliminary candidate for Suwon mayor, entered politics in August 1988 at the recommendation of an acquaintance while approaching his university graduation. As a former congressional aide and the only three-term provincial councilor representing Suwon, he cited his advantage as his 'steadfastness.' He threw his hat in the ring, saying he would address the frustrations of ordinary citizens with that steadfastness.

● Dynamic Leadership Needed for City's 60-Year Anniversary

Candidate Choi characterized Suwon, marking its 61st anniversary as a city, as having reached the age of adulthood if it were a person. However, he added that with each passing day, the city is losing its character as the provincial capital of Gyeonggi Province. He believed the maximum population Suwon can accommodate is 1.3 million, emphasizing that dynamic leadership is needed during this period for the next 60 years.

With that, Candidate Choi identified Suwon Airfield relocation and Suwon Hwaseong Fortress restoration as the city's most pressing issues. In particular, he stated, "Suwon Airfield relocation pledges are a regular menu during election season," and "Although everyone said they would resolve it, the reason they haven't is that the approach has always been the same."

Candidate Choi noted that "while the ultimate goal lies in airfield relocation, it is difficult to resolve this at once," and argued that "we must approach it through deactivating the emergency runway and phased relocation of fighter squadrons." He emphasized that only the necessary squadrons should remain, with the rest relocated to other airfields.

Regarding the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress restoration project, Candidate Choi pointed out that the confusion caused to residents stemmed from the continuous changes to the project plans. He stated, "As the project order changed, it stimulated local favoritism among residents in the restoration project area," and "Due to the massive restoration budget involved, I will leverage my experience as a provincial councilor to secure provincial and national funding support."

● Bringing Life to Buildings Through Remodeling

Regarding Suwon's traffic policies, Candidate Choi proposed a distinctive pledge. He stated, "The pedestrian safety of elderly people is threatened by illegal parking of motorcycles and on sidewalks," and "Guidelines are needed for designating and operating senior protection zones."

Along with this, Candidate Choi stressed that data on pedestrian accidents should be compiled by age group and location to prioritize facility investments for urban pedestrian safety. He also promised to extend pedestrian signal duration and introduce roundabouts.

Candidate Choi also revealed his own unique perspective regarding urban redevelopment projects. He emphasized the need to move away from a focus on total reconstruction in redevelopment and to seek ways to revitalize inactive buildings through remodeling. He also argued that rather than investing capital to revitalize traditional markets, it is urgent to integrate tourism and culture and packageize them.

● Pursuing Suwon Integration Through Regional Cultural Exchange

Candidate Choi asserted that if elected mayor, he would transform Suwon into a world-class cultural city. To this end, he stated that it would be desirable for regions to take center stage rather than central government-led cultural exchange, and added that he would promote regional cultural exchange by leveraging Suwon Hwaseong, a world-renowned cultural heritage site.

Additionally, resolving youth unemployment and revitalizing re-employment for middle-aged and elderly workers are pledges Candidate Choi has consistently advocated. He promised to allow dual employment for middle-aged and elderly workers in public organizations such as Suwon City and its affiliated institutions, restructuring the employment system to allow those above a certain age to reduce working hours and engage in other employment activities.

Along with this, Candidate Choi also presented a plan to establish an organization capable of integrating various alumni associations within Suwon City to promote communication between classes. He also promised to activate neighborhood councils and civil and volunteer organizations to pursue genuine integration of East Suwon and West Suwon.

※ Profile of Preliminary Candidate Choi Kyou-jin
▲ Suwon Agricultural Life Sciences High School
▲ Kyung Hee University, Department of Environmental Science
▲ Chair of Suwon City Council, Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation
▲ 5th, 6th, and 7th Term Gyeonggi Province Councilor