Kim Boo-kyum, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for Daegu mayor, said in an interview with ChosunBiz at his campaign office in Duryu-dong, Dalseo District, Daegu, on the 18th that "Daegu's urgency has called me back."
Kim said, "Thanks to the citizens of Daegu, I served as a member of the National Assembly, a Minister, and even prime minister," adding, "I stepped away from politics after finishing my tenure as prime minister, but when my political hometown, Daegu, is in trouble, I thought the way to repay that grace was to add the experience and strength I have built."
Kim cited industrial restructuring, responding to the outflow of young people, and resetting the discussion on administrative integration of Daegu and North Gyeongsang (TK) as Daegu's core tasks. In particular, regarding the opposition party's claim that TK administrative integration fell through because of the Democratic Party's opposition, he countered, "It was an issue that faced opposition and conflict even within the People Power Party," and said, "Blaming only the Democratic Party is not only irresponsible, it is also disrespectful to city and provincial residents."
He said, "What is needed now is not a blame game but to reset the execution roadmap," adding, "The longer the dispute drags on, the more the damage returns to city and provincial residents." He went on, "If elected, I will immediately form a joint integration promotion committee with North Gyeongsang Province and publicly discuss the direction of integration, fiscal and administrative systems, and development strategies by region." The following is a Q&A with Kim.
─One of the phrases written on the campaign office wall is "regional extinction is scarier than regionalism." You have fought regionalism your entire political life, but it seems the object of the fight has changed.
"Entire regions are disappearing. What could be scarier than that? We can no longer just watch Daegu's prolonged economic slump and the outflow of young people. This is an emergency."
─Recently, President Lee Jae-myung visited Gunwi, the planned site for the TK new airport. How will you resolve the new airport issue?
"The president visited the site and said 'fiscal burdens and various risks are excessively concentrated on local governments' and that 'the government will also play the necessary role.' We will push to amend the special law on the new airport as the party line, but we will resolve this issue in a bipartisan manner."
─What is the specific implementation plan?
"The project must move forward even before the law is amended. First, we will inject a priming fund totaling 1 trillion won—500 billion won from the Public Capital Management Fund and 500 billion won in government fiscal support, as agreed with the central party—to begin initial procedures such as land acquisition and design. The core of the special law amendment is to codify the state's responsibility for the transfer of the military air base and the construction of the civilian airport. As this is a centennial plan for the region, we will also respond jointly with the local political community."
─Daegu's economy is deeply depressed. You pledged to attract corporations.
"The key to attracting large corporations is creating the rationale and conditions for them to come. The TK new airport is one of those key conditions. When the airport moves, logistics, future mobility, semiconductor components, robots, defense, and MRO industries will follow. We have already confirmed signals from some top executives at large corporations that if the new airport becomes tangible, they could consider a Daegu transfer and investment."
─What is the blueprint for transforming the regional industrial structure?
"Our goal is to create 100,000 quality jobs. To do that, we must change the industrial structure. Daegu has a solid manufacturing base in machinery, metals, auto parts, and textiles. We will integrate AI to innovate design, processes, quality, and logistics, and shift to high value-added industries. We will draw 15 trillion won from the Public Growth Fund to make Daegu the 'Pangyo of the southern region.'"
─The gap in support between you and the opposing candidate is narrowing. How do you assess the race?
"In every election, as voting day approaches, supporters rally. Daegu has a strong conservative hue, so conservative consolidation may appear more pronounced. But this Daegu mayoral race is different from the past. On the ground, people are even saying 'while guarding the heart of conservatism, the heart of Daegu is dying.' Citizens are now asking who can truly revive Daegu's economy and create jobs, rather than focusing on parties or ideology."
─What is your campaign strategy?
"Until the end, I will warm and persuade each and every citizen. This is my fifth election in Daegu and the last election of my life. I will fight it most fiercely."
─You retired from politics after serving as prime minister but returned. While people understand the sincerity of a candidate who has fought regionalism in Daegu, isn't it also a problem for the party that it has failed to cultivate a next-generation figure in this region?
"Why wouldn't the party bear responsibility? Everyone has a share of fault. But this region has had that much difficulty. Over the past 30 years, the citizens of Daegu elected only me as a Democratic Party lawmaker. So there was no way for people to grow."
─What is your strength compared with People Power Party candidate Choo Kyung-ho?
"Political skill and execution. Choo says he knows the chokepoints of the budget, but what Daegu needs now is not a map, but the power to get things done. He keeps asking for votes to keep the president and the government and ruling party in check, but a mayor is a worker, not a fighter. Citizens want real change in Daegu, not confrontation with the government. My strengths are the political skill and execution that can draw support and cooperation from the government and the ruling party, which holds a majority in the National Assembly."