Kim Jin-tae, the governor of Gangwon Special Province, drew the line on rumors of a presidential candidacy and stated on the 14th that he would focus solely on provincial governance.
During a press meeting that day, Governor Kim noted, “There are suggestions that I should not run, so I will devote myself to Gangwon governance,” adding, “I hope our party's presidential candidates perform well.”
He continued, “I believe that if regional governors run for president, the local community would support and back them, but that’s not always the case. It’s something to think carefully about,” and stated, “Managing provincial affairs is not easy.”
Governor Kim announced that he would establish a Gangwon presidential pledge promotion team to reflect major regional issues in the presidential campaign pledges and that it would be activated immediately. The main pledge tasks include the Gangwon Special Act, Mirae Industries, expansion of social overhead capital (SOC), and 23 projects across seven sectors.