Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum officially declared on Friday that he will run as the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for Daegu mayor in the June 3 local elections. With his declaration, Daegu is emerging as a key battleground in this election cycle, following Seoul and Busan. The ruling party senses it has a chance of winning even in this traditionally hostile territory, buoyed by favorable polling numbers and pledges of full government support.
Kim held a press conference at the National Assembly on Friday and said, "The responsibility I must bear ultimately was Daegu," adding that "I have been receiving requests to run since last fall." He urged, "Even for the sake of conservatism, it is time to take up the rod of discipline," and appealed, "Daegu must take the lead in abandoning the People Power Party." Criticizing the PPP's monopoly on power in Daegu, he said, "Things are getting worse," and asked, "How can people who think they only need to save themselves even if Daegu falls claim to speak of conservatism?"
He also emphasized his commitment to balanced regional development, saying, "I want to overcome a wall even higher than regionalism — the wall of despair called regional extinction." Regarding party-level support measures for Daegu's economic development, he said, "I have received firm promises from the party leadership," and pledged to "take responsibility for and complete the Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) administrative integration, the relocation of the joint civil-military airport, the resolution of the water intake source issue, the second phase of public institution relocations, and the restructuring of the industrial base."
