"I will complete Anyang's future growth structure and build a 100-year city capable of overcoming crises. Together with citizens, I will overcome the economic crisis."
Choi Dae-ho, the Democratic Party candidate for Anyang mayor, is seeking a fourth term in the June 3 local elections. Having served as Anyang's chief executive during the 5th and 7th-8th popularly elected administrations, he successfully transformed Anyang from a city facing growth limits amid manufacturing decline into a smart city.
In an interview with Seoul Economic Daily at his campaign office in Bisan-dong on Tuesday, Choi first admitted that he had agonized over whether to serve a fourth term as a local government head ahead of this election.
"From late August through September last year, I really struggled with whether to continue in politics or step down," he said. "I had served as mayor three times, and I thought running again might look like greed." He added, "I only discussed it with my wife because I was worried word would spread quickly if I consulted anyone else."
Choi recalled, "Before entering politics, I used to travel with my family, but since starting my political career, I've hardly had a proper rest. Even on vacation, I had to come straight back whenever something came up." He added, "My wife told me to take care of my health and quit politics now."
However, he found the reason for his fourth-term bid in the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration and the incorporation of Anyang's key issues into the president's pledges.
"If President Lee Jae-myung had not been elected, I probably would have stepped away from politics," he emphasized. "All seven of Anyang's key agenda items that I have pushed forward — undergrounding the Gyeongbu Line national railway, extending the Seoul Seobu Line to Anyang, extending the Wirye-Gwacheon Line, redeveloping the Pyeongchon first-generation new town, the Bakdal Smart Valley, the Anyangcheon National Garden, and the relocation of Anyang Prison — have all been reflected in the president's pledges."
Choi described this as "a decisive opportunity for Anyang's development." He said, "Given the current momentum, I became convinced that if I put in the effort and serve one more term, Anyang could develop significantly. I have no further political ambitions; my duty is to properly complete my role as mayor."
Choi presented urban structure innovation and building a sustainable growth foundation as his vision for Anyang's future. "Undergrounding the national railway, redeveloping the Pyeongchon new town, establishing a metropolitan railway network, and creating a hyper-connected compact city centered on station areas will serve as the foundation for Anyang's revival," he said. "My goal is to secure future growth engines and hand down a city that future generations can be proud of."
On his signature policy of undergrounding the Gyeongbu Line railway, Choi said, "When I first pledged this in 2010, many criticized it as impossible. But after a citizen signature campaign and continued efforts, we achieved the passage of related legislation last year."
"Anyang has a structure where Manan and Dongan districts are separated by the national railway," he stressed. "For balanced regional development and securing future growth space, undergrounding the railway and developing the upper deck into a mixed-use complex are absolutely necessary."
He also expressed expectations for the metropolitan railway network. His vision is to make Anyang a transportation hub in southern Gyeonggi Province through the Wirye-Gwacheon Line extension to Anyang and the Seoul Seobu Line extension. "If accessibility to Gangnam and Pangyo from the Bisan-dong and Gwanyang-dong areas is significantly improved, it will become possible to attract high value-added industries," he said. "In connection with the AI convergence innovation cluster being pursued with Seoul National University, Anyang will be able to leap forward as a leading city in physical AI."
As a development plan for Manan-gu, which has seen relatively slower development, he proposed relocating city hall and creating Bakdal Smart City. "Once the city hall relocation is completed, Manan-gu will transform into an administrative complex city and a new residential and transportation hub," he said. "We plan to move the Bakdal-dong ammunition battalion underground and develop the upper area into a smart mixed-use complex combining advanced industries, housing, and cultural facilities."
He added, "Bakdal Smart City will change the map of Manan on a scale comparable to a small new town. As a rare large-scale military facility undergrounding project in Korea, it will become a model of cooperation between the central and local governments."
Choi concluded, "With the livelihoods of ordinary people facing great difficulty due to the aftermath of the Middle East war, my heart is heavy as I enter this election. But I will complete Anyang's future growth structure and build a 100-year city capable of overcoming crises. Together with citizens, I will overcome the economic crisis."
