Jeon Jae-soo, the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate for Busan mayor, sought to ease concerns over a "half-relocation" of HMM's headquarters to Busan, saying "there is no need for major worry," and pledged to build a citywide support system. The chairman of the HMM Maritime Union lent his weight to the campaign on the same day by accepting the post of co-chair of Jeon's election committee.
Speaking to reporters on Friday morning after a ceremony at the HMM Maritime Union office in Jung-gu, Busan, at which union chairman Jeon Jeong-geun accepted the campaign co-chair position, Jeon said, "HMM members reached a dramatic agreement, but challenges remain to be overcome." He added, "We will work to resolve matters in a way that maximizes the effect of the Busan relocation."
The comments are seen as a direct response to concerns raised during the recent push to move HMM's headquarters to Busan, with some warning that only a portion of its functions may be transferred in a so-called "half-relocation."
"When I was the nominee for minister of oceans and fisheries, the ministry's union protested with head-shaving and hunger strikes, but in the end, everything was resolved through dialogue," Jeon said. "This time as well, I will make sure to find a win-win solution."
He continued, "If elected, I will design a tightly woven support system that Busan can mobilize," and presented a support plan drawing on the Busan Maritime Capital Special Act.
"The Busan Maritime Capital Special Act already provides a legal basis for a wide range of support, including tax incentives and improvements in employee settlement conditions when shipping, shipbuilding, and logistics companies relocate," he explained. "I will break through the stagnant regional economy with a strategy of selection and concentration."
He added, "If the HMM relocation successfully takes root, an environment will be created in which other major shipping companies will have no choice but to come to Busan. I will make Busan run again."
Jeon Jeong-geun, the HMM Maritime Union chairman who took on the election committee co-chair role, said, "Candidate Jeon is a politician who has shown through action, not words. I decided to join him for the future of Busan and the future of Korea's shipping industry."
The alliance is seen as a move to broaden support within the shipping industry in line with Jeon's flagship pledge of making Busan a "maritime capital." Observers note that, with the HMM relocation emerging as one of the region's largest economic issues, the partnership with the maritime union carries considerable symbolic weight.
