Lee Jang-woo, the People Power Party candidate for Daejeon mayor, said in a ChosunBiz interview on the 29th, "Daejeon is a city with the best research and development capacity in Korea," adding, "If we link defense, space, and the semiconductor industry here, it can become a key hub for Korea's future strategic industries."
The candidate emphasized, "Going forward, we must shift from a simple research city to an industrial city where research, demonstrations, startups, and manufacturing happen together," and "The goal is to build a city where young people from across the country gather in Daejeon, not a city where young people leave for the Seoul metropolitan area in search of good jobs."
The candidate put forward "completing Daejeon as a first-class economic city" as a core campaign pledge. ▲ Creating a national industrial complex for nano and semiconductors ▲ Fostering advanced industries in space and defense ▲ Successfully pushing the Line 2 tram for the urban railway ▲ Developing a multimodal transfer center at Seodaejeon Station ▲ Recreating Bomunsan and O-World ▲ Building a Daejeon-version Cheonggyecheon, among others, would be pursued as priorities.
At the same time, the candidate said, "With the vision of Daejeon as a G2 economic and science capital competing with Seoul, we will achieve the goal of 100 listed corporations and a market cap of 200 trillion by 2030," adding, "We will be the first local government to usher in the era of $40,000 in per capita personal income." The following is a Q&A with the candidate.
─Former President Park Geun-hye recently joined the campaign trail to support you. How was the on-site reaction?
"It was a great boost to me, to the campaign staff, and to the supporters who joined us on site. Above all, it showed citizens that 'the center of the conservative camp is uniting as one.' The atmosphere on site was extremely enthusiastic, and it was a big encouragement and driving force for me."
─I heard you presented a scroll to the former president.
"I presented former President Park with a scroll inscribed with 'Seoro (瑞露).' It means 'auspicious dew.' It carries the hope that, after a difficult period, new hope and good energy will be with her. Politically, it expressed a wish for stability, harmony, and new hope to descend upon the people and the nation."
─Of the achievements in your four-year term, what do you consider most meaningful?
"I consider it most meaningful that we restored Daejeon's urban competitiveness. Over the past four years, Daejeon has repositioned itself not as a stagnant city but as a growing one again. We strengthened the industrial base in space, semiconductors, bio, and defense, and simultaneously pursued large-scale corporate investment attraction and expansion of urban infrastructure.
In particular, breaking ground on the Daejeon Urban Railway Line 2 tram, pushing the national industrial complex for nano and semiconductors, revitalizing the old downtown through the Midnight Festival, and opening Hanwha Life Ballpark are changes citizens can feel directly. I feel the greatest reward when I hear citizens say, 'Daejeon is changing.'"
─You devoted considerable effort to attracting corporations.
"We focused on shifting from a research and development-centered city to an economy centered on advanced industries and corporations. We concentrated on simultaneously securing industrial land and a talent supply system. Centered on KAIST and the Daedeok Research and Development Special Zone, Daejeon is dense with outstanding talent and research institutes, and it also has excellent transportation accessibility and residential conditions. We emphasized that Daejeon is highly competitive in the research and development collaboration environment and talent acquisition, which corporations value most."
─What results did you achieve?
"First, we attracted the national industrial complex for nano and semiconductors. We also brought in Merck's bio production facility, a global company from Germany. We attracted investments from advanced companies such as SK On. Establishing Daejeon Investment Finance to expand the base for venture investment is also one of the achievements."
─Daejeon is a city most associated with science,
"We have a vision to make Daejeon 'the science capital and a center of advanced defense industries.' We transferred the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, which executes an annual budget of 17 trillion won, to Daejeon. If we link Daejeon's research and development capacity with defense, space, and the semiconductor industry, it will become a key hub for Korea's future strategic industries."
─You are facing Heo Tae-jung, the previous mayor, again. How do you assess your opponent?
"I believe citizens are already assessing the opponent well enough. Rather than going negative, I want to be judged on what has changed over the past four years and how I will further develop Daejeon."
─What is your strategy to secure support during the remaining campaign period?
"An election isn't over until it's over. I will humbly reach out to citizens until the very last moment. When I meet people on site, expectations for Daejeon's development are quite high. There is especially strong demand for jobs and urban development. I will sincerely explain the achievements of the past four years and the vision ahead."