On the 28th, Democratic Party of Korea Daejeon mayoral candidate Heo Tae-jung said in an interview with ChosunBiz, "I will build a Daejeon where neighborhood businesses come back to life, young people do not leave, and citizens are the owners of city administration," adding, "I will integrate the Chungcheong region into a single wide-area economic zone to establish a new growth axis for Korea."
He pledged to foster youth venture companies by leveraging the Daedeok Innopolis, the symbol of Daejeon as a science city. He said, "The 27 government-funded research institutes, base universities including the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), and some 40,000 researchers are Daejeon's competitiveness that no other city can have," adding, "We will grow 1,000 youth venture companies with a youth tech-startup fund."
– After serving as the mayor of Daejeon in the 7th popularly elected term, you decided to run again in this local election.
"The past four years were a time to look more deeply into city administration. Even after stepping down as mayor, I did not leave Daejeon and kept a close eye on citizens' daily lives. In doing so, I realized that what citizens most urgently want is an ordinary life in which their wallets do not get lighter and safety is guaranteed. More stores closed, and young people left Daejeon in search of jobs. Together with citizens, I will revive livelihoods and redraw Daejeon's tomorrow."
– In the 8th popularly elected term, People Power Party candidate Lee Jang-woo led city administration.
"For four years, citizens were bystanders rather than the owners of administration. Despite hardships in livelihoods, a huge budget was poured into large-scale events with vague identities, while the local currency Ontong Daejeon, which citizens relied on, became nominal. In terms of citizen safety, there were a series of major accidents, from the Hyundai Outlet and Hankook Tire to the Anjeon Industry fires. City administration exists for citizens."
– Your pledges include "Ontong Daejeon 2.0." How will it differ from before?
"Ontong Daejeon was originally a local currency centered on cashback. Ontong Daejeon 2.0 is an evolved 'local economy circulation platform.' The biggest difference is integration. It consolidates scattered policy allowances—such as transportation fare refunds, welfare points, and volunteer incentives—into a single wallet. The second difference is scalability. It serves as the execution infrastructure to deliver livelihood pledges to citizens, such as high oil price damage support funds and the 4050 bridge pension. Bringing scattered budgets onto one platform will also reduce administrative costs."
– Daejeon is also known as a science city. What are your plans to support the science and technology sector?
"Daejeon's greatest asset is the Daedeok Innopolis. However, the most regrettable part is that its capabilities have not sufficiently translated into industry and jobs. The key is connection. We will build a technology matchmaking platform linking government-funded research institutes and corporations, and we will grow 1,000 youth venture companies with a youth tech-startup fund. We will also support Daejeon's researchers and companies so they can regain vitality. We will build a Daejeon where research becomes industry, and industry flows into jobs."
– The administrative integration of South Chungcheong and Daejeon fell through. If elected, how will you proceed?
"To move beyond the Seoul metropolitan area's single-pole system, we must integrate the Chungcheong region into a single wide-area economic zone to create a new growth axis for Korea. However, the recent administrative integration discussions proceeded too quickly before sufficient understanding and consensus were built among citizens. If elected, I will immediately form an integration consultative body with Chungcheong-region leaders to regain momentum. After a process of public discussion, we will clearly confirm the citizens' will through a referendum."
– The gap between Daejeon's old downtown and new towns is cited as a key local issue.
"In fact, Daejeon's old downtown concentrates assets that other places cannot have, from Daejeon Station and Sungsimdang to the baseball stadium and O-World. The problem is that these assets exist separately. If public institutions relocate to the Daejeon Station area, young people will move in, and as they meet the old downtown's cultural assets, new commercial districts and vitality will emerge. When the infrastructure of Dunsan and Yuseong creates synergy with the old downtown's cultural assets, only then will Daejeon become a city where people can feel proud no matter which neighborhood they live in."
☞ Who is Heo Tae-jung
Born in Yesan, South Chungcheong, Heo graduated from Daejeon Daeseong High School and the philosophy department at Chungnam National University. During the Roh Moo-hyun administration, Heo served as an administrative officer at the presidential office and a policy aide to the Minister of Science and Technology. He served as head of Yuseong District, Daejeon, in the 5th and 6th popularly elected terms, and as mayor of Daejeon in the 7th. He later ran for a second term as Daejeon mayor in the 8th local election but was defeated. After declaring not to run in the 22nd general election, Heo served as co–standing representative at the The Minjoo National Innovation Council, the largest outside-the-Assembly group among pro-Lee Jae-myung (pro-Myeong) circles.