“This place is a symbolic location of the direction our administration should go. Administration is not about creating many criminals through intense enforcement of illegal activities, but about finding the most vulnerable people and providing them with warm care.”
On the afternoon of the 4th, at the entrance of the senior citizens' center in Jangja Village, Shinbuk-myeon, Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, appeared dressed in a blue jumper and white pants. After a fierce primary battle, he was selected as the final candidate of the conservative faction, and the first place he visited was a village for Hansen's disease patients.
Candidate Kim also visited this place as his first schedule after taking office as the mayor during the 5th civil election. This has led to reports that Candidate Kim must have a unique affection for this place. Currently, there are six Hansen's disease settlements in Gyeonggi Province, including Jangja Village.
Those with Hansen's disease, isolated from society and pushed into the mountains, managed to make a living by illegally renovating buildings to operate unlicensed dyeing factories. Government inspections and reports were carried out due to illegal renovations and wastewater discharge, leading to about half of the villagers becoming criminals.
Kim, who took office as the governor of Gyeonggi Province in 2008, broke the vicious cycle of environmental pollution and villagers of Hansen's disease reporting by consulting with the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. He transformed unlicensed dyeing factories, the main cause of environmental pollution, into a textile industrial complex and installed wastewater treatment facilities. He provided various support projects, including healthcare and housing improvement projects, to the residents.
As the former governor returned as a presidential candidate, over 100 residents and supporters from the Hansen's disease village warmly welcomed Candidate Kim with cheers.
Hearing the chants of “Kim Moon-soo for president” from the residents and supporters, Candidate Kim entered the senior citizens' center in Jangja Village and shook hands with the elderly one by one.
Holding the microphone, Candidate Kim said, “Nice to meet you. I love you all,” while making a large heart sign with his hands. He seemed overwhelmed and momentarily unable to continue speaking.
Candidate Kim stated, “(In the past, local governments) regarded you as targets of enforcement, and no one was able to help you, but I learned what direction administration should take through the Hansen's disease village.”
He grabbed the hand of the village chief, Choi Jong-kuk, whose fingertips became thick and resemble a clam's hand, and said, “Seeing you all, your faces have become so bright,” unable to hide his delight.
Village chief Choi noted, “It was (Candidate Kim) who first came to the Hansen's disease village as a regional mayor,” and expressed gratitude by saying, “He stayed here to listen to our hardships and demonstrated sincerity for the vulnerable.”
Il-gil Yong, president of the Korean Hansen's Disease Association, voiced concerns that he might make concessions during unification discussions, saying, “Please promise that you won’t give up. Hansen's disease patients regard Candidate Kim as a father.”
Grandmother Kim Soon-hee presented Candidate Kim with a letter and a bouquet of azalea flowers she picked in her front yard.
She shed tears while expressing, “We lived our lives constantly running away. However, meeting you has changed my life. Despite being pointed at as a leper, you extended your hand to me and even taught me Hangul when I didn’t know how to read. You are the one who always watches over those living in humble places.”
Candidate Kim briefly held a closed meeting with the villagers at the senior citizens' center and later met with reporters, emphasizing 'field administration.'
Regarding the reason he scheduled his first appointment as a presidential candidate at the Hansen's disease village, he said, “When I was the governor, I thought this place was a symbolic representation of the direction our administration should go.” He added, “In the past, this area was filled with garbage, and wastewater was continuously discharged, causing large-scale deaths of fish in the Han River. So the local government kept enforcing regulations, but I sought the causes and changed it. Isn’t this the fundamental direction that a public servant should take?”
In political circles, there were interpretations that highlighting the administrative achievements of 'supporting the vulnerable' on this first schedule reflected an awareness of concerns regarding political centrism.