North Gyeongsang Gov. Lee Cheol-woo has made official his bid to run for a third term in the June 3 local elections next year.
In a video titled "press briefing, key Q&A" posted on his YouTube channel on the 14th, the governor said, "Having already devoted my body to the nation and risen again by a miracle, I will dedicate myself to North Gyeongsang and the country until the end."
Along with declaring his run for a third term, he also explained his health status. The governor said, "I was fine in January this year, then (cancer) came on suddenly in May," adding, "Fortunately, a miracle happened in which chemotherapy worked well and all the cancer cells disappeared."
The governor also shared details of his chemotherapy. He said, "Rep. In Yo-han, a former doctor at Severance, suggested I go to Severance Hospital in Seoul, which has the best technology and equipment, for treatment," adding, "Does it make sense for a governor to go to a hospital in Seoul? I trusted Kyungpook National University Hospital and entrusted my body to it." The governor continued, "My attending physician at Kyungpook National University Hospital is one of Korea's most renowned doctors, which was truly fortunate."
The governor added, "While undergoing cancer treatment, we handled the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit. I stayed in Gyeongju for a month and made a checklist of 1,000 items to inspect, and people around me tried to stop me, saying working like that would kill me," adding, "Since joining the National Security Planning Agency in 1985, I have devoted my body to the nation, and I believe it is an honor for a public official to die while working, so I did my best, and fortunately, without any accidents, we made it the most successful APEC ever."
He went on to say, "There is still a mountain of work to do," adding, "Our residents hit by wildfires are in tears day by day with worry, so we must provide as meticulous support as possible for what they lost, and since we have even created a special law for reconstruction, we must attract major investment to the affected areas and turn misfortune into a blessing."
The governor said, "In the era of AI (artificial intelligence) and robots, we must cultivate scientists and engineers to not only innovate industries in North Gyeongsang but also make the Republic of Korea a top-tier nation."