Jun Jae-soo, the Democratic Party candidate for Busan mayor in the June 3 local elections, said "the golden time is exactly four years," adding, "I will consolidate the four-piece set of administrative, industrial, judicial, and financial functions to build the infrastructure for Busan as a maritime capital."
In an interview with The Seoul Economic Daily at his campaign office in Busanjin-gu, Busan, on Monday, Jun said, "We must produce results within the four years of the Lee Jae-myung administration." He stressed, "There have been 10 mayors over 30 years, but they failed to reverse Busan's situation because they did not set goals and directions. We have set the direction and goal of 'maritime capital.'"
Asked to evaluate the past tenure of incumbent Busan Mayor Park Heong-jun of the People Power Party, his opponent, Jun called it "five years of losing its way and wandering." He emphasized, "Busan needs a dynamic mayor." On the "No. 1 pledge" he would push first if elected Busan mayor, he said, "The 'No. 1 change' has already begun with the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries." He explained, "Pukyong National University recorded its highest admissions competition ratio since its founding, and the number of newly established corporations has increased for three consecutive months. I will expand this energy of change throughout Busan."
Regarding measures to close the widening economic gap between eastern and western Busan, Jun said, "We will nurture eastern Busan, the pride of Busan, as it continues to thrive, and bind western Busan together as an artificial intelligence (AI) industrial belt." On his pledge to build a dome stadium at Busan Port's North Port, he said, "The 40-year-old Sajik Stadium is too old to contain the baseball enthusiasm of Busan citizens," adding, "It is about building a new source of pride for Busan."
— What motivated you to run for Busan mayor?
△ Over the past 30 years, Busan has been on a continuous downhill path. During the last presidential election, as I was contemplating ways to break through this, I ultimately concluded that the path Busan must take is that of a "maritime capital." To this end, I made four pledges, including the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, which oversees administrative functions, and its affiliated public institutions to Busan, and the establishment of a specialized maritime court to prevent national wealth from flowing out due to maritime cases. Among these, the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries was something I did while serving as minister. To break Busan's stagnation and bring about a rebound, I thought I should finish what I started. That was the decisive reason.
— How do you evaluate Mayor Park Heong-jun's city administration?
△ The evaluation of city administration ultimately comes from the lives of Busan citizens. From that perspective, the sober assessment is that it has been "five years of losing its way and wandering." Citizens evaluate that Mayor Park "couldn't do the big things because he lacked the ability, and didn't do the small things, so in the end we don't know what he did." Busan needs not a "managerial mayor" who only tries to maintain the status quo, but a "dynamic mayor" who delivers results and achievements as a report card.
— What is your vision as Busan mayor?
△ Over the past 30 years, there have been 10 Busan mayors. They worked hard, but they could not reverse Busan's worsening situation. That is because they did not set the goal and direction for how the city of Busan should move forward. As a result, city administration without achievements accumulated and piled up, and the result is the self-portrait of today's Busan. For Busan to open the future and break through stagnation, we must accurately set the direction in which we should head. We must make Busan's path become Korea's path. Busan's interest must become Korea's interest. Busan has set the direction and goal of being a maritime capital. When the Arctic route opens, Busan will receive the greatest demand and become a strategic hub. If we create a new growth hub at the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, we can overcome Korea's unipolar system.
— What is the No. 1 pledge that Busan citizens will feel?
△ The No. 1 change has already begun. With the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Korea Maritime and Ocean University recorded its highest admissions competition ratio in 17 years, and Pukyong National University recorded its highest admissions competition ratio since its founding. The number of newly established corporations has increased for three consecutive months. This is extremely unusual for Busan. The No. 1 task I must take on is to expand and strengthen this energy of change throughout Busan. Companies will soon relocate to Busan. The direct job creation effect, as well as the indirect ripple effects from this, will be tremendous. I will give Busan citizens better jobs, more jobs, and more opportunities. I will ensure that young people don't leave Busan and that those who left can return to Busan with new hope. The golden time for this is four years. Within the four years of the Lee Jae-myung administration, we must produce results that Busan citizens can clearly feel.
— The gap between western and eastern Busan has widened to the point of showing differences even in life expectancy. How can this be resolved?
△ The most serious difference between the two regions is likely the water issue. This is the only place in Korea that uses flowing river water as its water source. All other regions have their own water reservoirs, don't they? We disinfect flowing river water and use it, so life expectancy can't be high. Fundamentally, it's because regional consultations have not been reached over the past several decades. During the four years of the Lee Jae-myung administration, I will definitely coordinate regional conflicts and resolve the water issue without fail. Fundamentally, we must diversify water sources.
On the issue of alleviating the east-west gap, the fact that eastern Busan is thriving is Busan's pride in itself. We should nurture it as it thrives, but if the east-west gap deepens like this, eastern Busan also cannot achieve sustainable growth. In the case of western Busan, 58% of all manufacturing in Busan is concentrated there. We will apply AI to this. The idea is to bind western Busan together as an AI industrial belt. Ha Jung-woo, the candidate running in Buk-gu A, says he will make Buk-gu the No. 1 AI education city. We plan to create an AI industry support center in Saha-gu. If western Busan's traditional manufacturing base is reorganized into new industries, the gap between eastern and western Busan will narrow in the process.
— You pledged to build a dome stadium at North Port.
△ The 40-year-old Sajik Stadium is too old to contain Busan citizens' enthusiasm for baseball. It is time for a new space that matches citizens' pride. We will build a retractable dome stadium with an ocean view at North Port, making it a Busan landmark where baseball games are held during the season, and large-scale performances, exhibitions, leisure, recreation, and shopping are possible during the off-season. This is not simply a project to build one large building. It is about building a new source of pride for Busan. For Sajik Stadium, we are reviewing ways to return it to citizens as a "mecca of recreational sports."
— Being a "powerful ruling party candidate" is an advantage, but there are also concerns that local politics could become subordinate to the central government.
△ It's the opposite. I will turn Busan's pending issues into Korea's tasks. The direction of state administration and the direction of the local government must be consistent. A representative example is "Maritime Capital Busan." It is a vision that I personally designed and proposed during the last presidential election, which was reflected in President Lee's state affairs tasks. The mayor's position is not one for a power struggle with the central government. I will work closely with the president, the government, and the ruling party, and bring that state-administration momentum to Busan's development.
— Is there a message you would like to leave for Busan citizens?
△ Busan now needs a Busan mayor who does the job well. I will prove through tangible achievements how the city changes and how citizens' lives improve when just one mayor is changed.
