Lee Chul-woo, Governor of North Gyeongsang Province, officially declared his candidacy for the 21st presidential election on the 9th, saying, "It is difficult with the existing known candidates, and to defeat Lee Jae-myung, a new figure must create a dramatic comeback victory in the party's primary," adding, "Lee Chul-woo is the new card the people have been looking for."
On this day, the governor held a presidential campaign launch event at the birthplace of President Park Chung-hee in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, and made these remarks.
He introduced himself by saying, "As someone from an ordinary background, I have built solid skills while protecting liberal democracy with 20 years in the National Intelligence Service, 10 years as a lawmaker, and 7 years as a governor." He further emphasized, "I will inherit the spirit of national reform that President Park Chung-hee planned and executed, and just as the expressway, Pohang Steel, and the Saemaul Undong launched by President Park Chung-hee 60 years ago led to the success of South Korea, I will promote ten national transformation policies that will design the next 60 years."
The governor also said, "I will shorten the term to three years and work on two tasks: constitutional amendment and national transformation."
He first noted, "We need to move towards a new system that gathers the wisdom of all citizens through consensus-based politics rather than extreme conflict," advocating for a decentralized constitutional amendment. He further emphasized the importance of regional decentralization, stating, "Innovation and growth need to occur everywhere in South Korea."
Regarding diplomacy and security, he stated, "We will establish a security and economic cooperation network among the three countries—South Korea, the United States, and Japan—and will review all options, including nuclear armament and a nuclear umbrella, in response to North Korea's nuclear threats." He added, "I will disband the Ministry of Education to specialize it regionally and introduce a cap on private education expenses," and noted, "We will elevate the treatment of scientists and technologists above that of doctors and produce Nobel Prize winners."
Concerning the forest fires that occurred in the Yeongnam region, he emphasized, "We must respond to climate disasters with science and technology on a national level." He said, "We will improve and restore the areas affected by the forest fires through innovative reconstruction methods and turn the mountains, which are merely looked at, into profitable mountains."
Finally, he said, "Let's unite the hearts of the people through an inspiring primary and win the presidential election together," adding, "I will throw myself wholeheartedly and ensure victory to place a free and democratic Republic of Korea on the foundation of a first-rate country."
The governor is participating in the primary while maintaining his position as governor of North Gyeongsang Province. Born in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, he graduated from the Department of Mathematics Education at Kyungpook National University after attending Gokseong National Primary School, Yeongnam Middle School, and Gimcheon High School. He served as the Director General of the National Intelligence Service and held the position of Deputy Governor for Political Affairs in North Gyeongsang Province. He has served three terms as a lawmaker in Gimcheon and has been the governor of North Gyeongsang Province since 2018.