Lee Jae-myung, the presidential primary candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced regional pledges for Honam and energy promises. The plan is to make Honam, the 'stronghold' of the Democratic Party, a center for artificial intelligence (AI) and renewable energy, and to build an energy expressway connecting Yeongnam and the east coast. However, contents related to nuclear power generation were excluded from the energy promises announced this time.
On the 24th, the candidate said on Facebook, "I will make Honam a hub for the renewable energy industry," and noted, "I will certainly open the 'economic revival era' of Honam and support the transition to high value-added industries by fostering AI, future mobility, and the financial industry."
On that day, the candidate presented the Honam regional pledges, which include ▲expanding the 'National AI Computing Center' in Gwangju ▲creating a specialized financial ecosystem for asset management in Jeonju ▲supporting the offshore wind power and electric ship industry in Mokpo ▲establishing RE100 industrial complexes in Gwangju and Saemangeum ▲building a renewable energy-based AI data center in Haenam ▲creating a national food cluster in Jeonbuk ▲establishing national medical schools in Jeonnam and Jeonbuk ▲supporting the bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics.
The energy promises consist of ▲constructing an energy expressway along the west coast by 2030 ▲completing the U-shaped Korean Peninsula energy expressway by 2040 ▲creating nationwide RE100 industrial complexes ▲expanding solar and wind pensions nationwide.
The candidate stated, "We will respond to the climate crisis with the abundant wind and solar power from Jeonnam and Jeonbuk and turn it into new momentum for economic leap," and added, "We will connect the power grids of Honam and Yeongnam and link them to the offshore wind power along the east coast to create a new energy paradigm for South Korea."
It is expected that the policy direction regarding nuclear power will be revealed later. Yoon Hoo-duk, head of the policy headquarters for Lee Jae-myung's campaign, met with reporters at the National Assembly's communication hall that day and said, "The Lee Jae-myung campaign has not emphasized or mentioned nuclear power," adding, "We need to achieve more social consensus on nuclear power."
However, the growth and integration think tank of the candidate recently proposed to include 'energy mix (national development weight)' with nuclear power in the Lee Jae-myung campaign. This indicates a willingness to move away from the 'nuclear phase-out' stance of the Moon Jae-in administration and not treat nuclear power ideologically.
Starting that day, the candidate will spend two days and one night on a schedule in Honam to solidify voter support. On the first day, the candidate will visit Saemangeum to examine the status of the renewable energy industry and then travel to Gwangju for a meeting titled 'Citizens who led the democratization of South Korea.' On the following day, the candidate plans to visit the Jeonnam Agricultural Technology Center in Naju, Jeonnam, to discuss the promotion of agricultural science and technology.