Rep. Choo Mi-ae, confirmed as the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate for Gyeonggi Province governor in the June 3 local elections, said Thursday that she would "form a 'melting pot' election campaign committee and prepare for Gyeonggi Province's future with pragmatic figures who transcend factions and ideology."
Choo held a press conference at the National Assembly communications hall and said, "I will bring together expert groups in livelihood issues and the economy for Gyeonggi Province." She added, "I will build a real-time communication system that can respond in coordination with national affairs," and noted, "As soon as Democratic Party candidates for all 31 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province are confirmed, we will immediately discuss livelihood issues."
To that end, Choo said she would "establish a tentatively named 'Democratic Party Gyeonggi Livelihood Task Force Committee' to address pending issues." She added, "I will listen to voices from every corner of Gyeonggi Province and create a future vision tailored to the province." She also said she would "pursue balanced regional development by successfully completing the K-Semiconductor Cluster and fostering dual-use advanced industries for both military and civilian applications."
Choo said she personally called each of her primary rivals — incumbent Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon, Rep. Han Jun-ho, Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, and former Rep. Yang Ki-dae — immediately after the party primary results were announced the previous day. "I will borrow their wisdom. I asked them to join together to achieve victory," she said.
Asked about concerns that the hardline image she built while pushing so-called "prosecutorial reform" could hinder her outreach to moderate voters in the general election, she said, "If I demonstrate results through ability, competence, and experience, those concerns will be resolved."
When asked whether the 10% bonus points granted to female candidates under party rules helped her win the nomination, she replied, "As far as I know, party members showed even stronger support than in the previous preliminary round." She added, "I was briefed that support clearly consolidated more during the preliminary election and this voting process."