Lee Jae-myung, a candidate for the presidential primary of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced pledges for the Gangwon and Jeju regions. His plan includes establishing a base for tourism and the natural bioindustry in Jeju, and creating a 'mini new town' for retirees in Gangwon. Unlike in the previous presidential election, he excluded content related to North Korea from his pledges for the Gangwon region.
On the 23rd, Lee Jae-myung stated on Facebook, "Jeju, the representative tourist destination of South Korea and a space for relaxation and healing, is experiencing a decline in tourism that is shaking its growth potential," adding, "I will develop Jeju into a leading city for carbon neutrality and a globally recognized tourist destination that harmonizes agriculture, tourism, life, and care."
As part of his pledges for Jeju, Lee proposed to ▲ establish a clean energy network of offshore wind and solar power ▲ expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure ▲ designate Jeju as a distributed energy special zone ▲ foster income-based renewable energy projects ▲ enhance digital infrastructure in tourism ▲ support the construction of multi-purpose sports infrastructure ▲ expand digital agriculture platforms and smart farm infrastructure ▲ develop the Jeju Biohealth Cluster, among others.
The pledges for the Gangwon region also include plans to develop it as a tourism hub. Lee announced proposals to ▲ cultivate advanced medical complex industries based on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies ▲ establish peace economy special zones in Cheorwon, Hwacheon, and Yanggu ▲ create a global complex resort in Pyeongchang and Gangneung ▲ develop marine leisure tourism destinations in Seorak and along the East Coast ▲ create a DMZ peace tourism special zone ▲ establish mini new-town retirement complexes in Chuncheon, Wonju, and Pyeongchang.
Lee emphasized, "We will surely repay the special sacrifices made by Gangwon Province for the nation and community with special compensation," adding, "The new Gangwon Province will transform from a center of the coal industry to a center of future industries and a global tourist city."
Lee's current pledges for the Gangwon region notably do not mention North Korea. In the previous presidential election, he had included pledges aimed at improving relations with North Korea, such as resuming tourism to Mount Kumgang and creating a special autonomous province for peace in Gangwon.
Ahead of the 21st presidential election, Lee is adopting a stance of 'strategic ambiguity' regarding foreign and security policies. On this day, Yoon Hu-deok, the policy chief of Lee's campaign, explained to reporters in the National Assembly's communication room that it is difficult to mention North Korea in the pledges as it has deployed troops in the Russia-Ukraine war. He also appeared to be particularly reserved regarding foreign and security issues.
Yoon noted, "I think there will be opportunities for Lee to directly mention his stance on diplomacy and gender in the future," adding, "It is prudent to avoid revealing our strategy and direction regarding foreign issues in advance." He continued, "It is quite challenging to mention North Korea because it is currently engaged in war after deploying troops to Russia."
Regarding the emphasis on 'tourism' in the pledges for Gangwon and Jeju, Yoon commented, "While it would be ideal for Korea to continue to develop as a manufacturing powerhouse, that is not an easy situation," adding, "As there are concerns about what we can rely on for our livelihoods in the future, I believe we need to incorporate culture and tourism significantly into our industrial portfolio."