People Power Party Jeju governor candidate Moon Sung-yu said in an interview with ChosunBiz on the 12th, "The second airport has been a divisive issue that has deeply split Jeju society for the past 11 years," adding, "The governor should not hide behind others and must make a final, responsible decision based on verified facts."
Moon said he would also improve the regional economic structure centered on tourism and primary industries. He said, "We need to build a foundation in Jeju for future industries such as digital, energy, bio, and smart agriculture," adding, "Based on the experience I have built up with the central government and on the economic front lines, I will create a provincial administration that changes the fundamentals of Jeju's economy."
—You are a former economic bureaucrat. Why did you decide to run for Jeju governor?
"My heart grew heavy looking at my hometown, Jeju. Tourism has not recovered, young people are leaving to find jobs, and farmers and fishers are having a harder time. Jeju can no longer rely only on the central government; it must create its own sources of income. That process requires experience in designing and implementing economic policy, and I decided to use the experience and policy-driving ability I have accumulated for Jeju."
—Jeju's economic indicators are poor. What is the solution?
"We need to grow corporations. But we cannot grow every corporation. Jeju has strengths in five key areas—so-called 'ABCDE': ocean, bio, content, digital, and energy—and we plan to focus on those. From there, we will nurture about 200 innovative corporations and attract 10 anchor corporations. Until now, no one in Jeju has properly handled both attraction and nurturing of corporations in this way."
—Some IT corporations have their headquarters in Jeju, but there is criticism that they are just shells.
"I see this as extremely important. Attracting corporations is necessary, but it should not be a method where they merely change their registered address to Jeju to receive tax benefits. Policies to attract corporations should be evaluated not by simple transfer counts, but by their actual contributions to Jeju's economy. For example, we must also verify on-the-ground employment in Jeju and hiring of local talent, investment in research and development, and records of collaboration with local corporations. Incentives should not be paid upfront; we need to shift to a model that ties them to outcomes."
—What is your position on building the second airport?
"Because this issue has deeply divided Jeju society, we now need to reach a responsible conclusion. The solution is verification that residents can accept and a responsible decision. If elected, I will push to revise the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Environmental Impact Assessment local government ordinance to institutionalize verification procedures, and I will also form an issue verification committee with experts who support, oppose, and are neutral. If the verification criteria are met, we will proceed; if they fall short, we will conduct a full reexamination. Based on verified facts, the governor will make the final decision responsibly."
—What is the solution to worsening regional imbalances within Jeju?
"As population, jobs, and living infrastructure concentrate in Jeju City, the sense of alienation in Seogwipo City and the towns and townships is growing. If this structure continues, one side will suffer from overcrowding and traffic and housing problems, while the other side will struggle with population decline and regional stagnation. I will make balanced development a core principle of Jeju administration. For Seogwipo, we will pursue growth strategies suited to regional characteristics, such as future agriculture, fisheries, and livestock industries; bio and healing industries; and sports and off-season training industries. For the towns and townships, we will focus on expanding living infrastructure."
—How do you view the party's situation?
"What people want is not political slogans but politics that can solve real problems. With the economy in a slump, youth insecurity rising, and small business owners and ordinary people struggling, if politics appears focused only on factional logic, it is hard to earn public trust. The People Power Party must also change into a people's livelihood-centered party. We must change how we communicate with the public and show responsibility by honestly acknowledging what we did wrong. Only after restoring trust can policies gain persuasive power."
☞Who is Moon Sung-yu
Born in Jeju City, Jeju Province, Moon served as the 25th president of Korea Asset Management Corporation (KAMCO). He graduated from Jeju Seo Elementary School, Jeju Jeil Middle School, and Ohyeon High School, then from the Department of Economics at Yonsei University. He passed the 33rd Higher Civil Service Examination in 1989 and entered public service, serving as Deputy Minister for Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, president of Korea Asset Management Corporation, and standing auditor at the Government Employees Pension Service.