Kim Moon-soo and Hong Joon-pyo, candidates for the People Power Party presidential primary, noted on the 26th that the promise made by candidate Han Dong-hoon to create 'five mega cities' is unlikely to be realized within a short term.
Candidate Kim asked during the first of the fourth round of the second primary debate held at the MBN studio in Jung-gu, Seoul, "I was surprised when you said you would create five mega cities in two years. How can you build five cities identical to Seoul in just two years?"
Candidate Han replied, "It doesn't mean that I will create non-existing new cities. The idea is to mobilize regulatory-free funds so that the cities can operate around specific industries and be supported competitively to rival Seoul."
Candidate Kim rebutted, saying, "It takes 3 to 4 years just to build an apartment," while candidate Han stated, "It seems you don't quite understand what I'm saying," and reiterated that he intends to revitalize the cities by easing regulations centered on national strategic industries in each region.
Then, candidate Kim asked candidate Hong, who previously served as mayor of Daegu, "Can we create five mega cities?" to which Hong replied, "That's an unrealistic promise. It takes 10 years to build new cities. Looking at this promise, I wonder if you truly understand administration."
Candidate Han emphasized, "It seems you both are not willing to listen to my explanation," and clarified that it does not mean to make cities anew, but rather to focus support on large cities, giving the example of transforming Daegu into a mega city within two years.
Candidate Kim countered, "Even if I manage to make five mega cities in five years, I will resign now and support candidate Han," to which Han responded, "I would love it if you did that," adding, "I don't understand why you think my promise is unrealistic."
When it was his turn to lead, candidate Kim attacked the 'mega city promise' again. He stated, "When candidate Han announced the promise, he said we need strong leadership like former President Park Chung-hee. However, it took 18 years to execute a Park Chung-hee-style new city," and asked, "Isn't it unrealistic? How about revising it?"
Candidate Han emphasized, "The president will take the lead to foster cities like Busan and Daegu, addressing the concentration issue in the metropolitan area with a counter-intuitive approach."
In response, candidate Kim probed, "We also need to develop living infrastructure and have detailed policies for technical science and international schools, but how can we accomplish that in just two years?"
Candidate Hong added, "I have also served as the governor of Gyeongnam and mayor of Daegu, and it's impossible. It would take at least 10 years to create a similar environment to the capital region," stating, "Achieving this within two years wouldn't have been possible even during the Chun Doo-hwan era."
Candidate Kim also questioned candidate Ahn, known as a former CEO of AhnLab, "Even though AhnLab in Pangyo has gone through governors Nam Kyung-pil and Lee Jae-myung, it still hasn't fully developed. How can we create a mega city comparable to Seoul in 20 years?"
Candidate Ahn responded, "It took 10 years for Pangyo to solidify its position. It is now undergoing reconstruction after about 30 years," indicating agreement with candidate Kim's concerns.
Earlier, candidate Han announced on the 22nd that he would create five cities across the nation, unveiling his 'five mega city project.' This plan aims to concentrate on nurturing five national strategic industries: AI, bio, energy, future vehicles, and semiconductors, outlining detailed policies for proper industrial attraction, developing residential environments, nurturing advanced talent, and comprehensive infrastructure development over a two-year plan.
Furthermore, while political circles have focused on 'metropolitan area development' and significantly transferring authority to local governments to foster autonomy, candidate Han distinguished his approach by emphasizing a strong push from the central government to realize these developments.