Jung Jeom-sik, Leader of the People Power Party [Photo=Yonhap News]
Jung Jeom-sik, the leader of the People Power Party, criticized the president on July 1, stating, "It is very regrettable that the president has initiated 'dividing non-capital regions.'"
In a post on his Facebook page, Jung expressed concern that this could regress South Korean politics back to the 1990s and lead to widespread regional conflict and feelings of neglect across the country.
His remarks followed President Lee Jae-myung's comments regarding the recently announced southwestern semiconductor cluster project, where the president acknowledged past discrimination between the Yeongnam and Honam regions, stating, "It is a clear fact that there was discrimination in the past," and that comparing historical investment levels shows a significant disparity.
Jung noted that with the launch of the ninth elected local government, if the president pursues political gain through regional division rather than integration, the new local governments will struggle to succeed. He emphasized that it is a critical time for all local governments to unite and work together to address population decline in non-capital regions and achieve balanced development.
He stated, "The principles of regional balanced development proposed by the People Power Party are 'autonomy' and 'fairness,'" adding that businesses should have the freedom to choose where to invest, while local governments should autonomously present incentives and engage in fair competition.
Jung warned that if political engineering interferes in the competition for attracting investment in local businesses, local governments will rely on 'political alignment' rather than innovation. He pledged to support the efforts of local governments through legislation and budget to achieve a successful era of local autonomy that harmonizes regional balanced development and decentralization.
In a post on his Facebook page, Jung expressed concern that this could regress South Korean politics back to the 1990s and lead to widespread regional conflict and feelings of neglect across the country.
His remarks followed President Lee Jae-myung's comments regarding the recently announced southwestern semiconductor cluster project, where the president acknowledged past discrimination between the Yeongnam and Honam regions, stating, "It is a clear fact that there was discrimination in the past," and that comparing historical investment levels shows a significant disparity.
Jung noted that with the launch of the ninth elected local government, if the president pursues political gain through regional division rather than integration, the new local governments will struggle to succeed. He emphasized that it is a critical time for all local governments to unite and work together to address population decline in non-capital regions and achieve balanced development.
He stated, "The principles of regional balanced development proposed by the People Power Party are 'autonomy' and 'fairness,'" adding that businesses should have the freedom to choose where to invest, while local governments should autonomously present incentives and engage in fair competition.
Jung warned that if political engineering interferes in the competition for attracting investment in local businesses, local governments will rely on 'political alignment' rather than innovation. He pledged to support the efforts of local governments through legislation and budget to achieve a successful era of local autonomy that harmonizes regional balanced development and decentralization.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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