Kim Sang-wook: "I will run for Mayor of Ulsan without street campaign trucks or a large election machine"

The Financial News, Ulsan – Kim Sang-wook, the The Minjoo Party of Korea candidate for Mayor of Ulsan in the June 3 local elections, announced that he will run his campaign without using street campaign trucks. He said he intends to work with all citizens except far-right forces, and identified smear campaigns and large-scale machine-style elections as key targets for reform in this race.
At a press conference held on the 25th at the Ulsan Metropolitan Council Press Center, Kim expressed his determination to carry out what he called a "four-point reform of election campaigning."
It was the first time Kim had held a press conference in Ulsan Metropolitan City regarding his bid in a local election. His pledge to run an unusually unconventional campaign drew considerable attention.
Kim said, "Ulsan Metropolitan City is now in decline due to a combination of factors in this era of major AI-driven change: a crisis in traditional manufacturing, regional depopulation, shifts in the trade environment, and an exclusionary, insular culture." He added, "I believe we are facing an existential crisis, and we can no longer delay change."
He went on, "Some people in power and vested interests do not see citizens as the true owners of this city, but merely as a means to maintain their power. Their anti-democratic mindset has split civil society into ‘us’ versus ‘them.’" He stressed, "I will join hands with all citizens, except anti-democratic, anti-constitutional and anti-citizen far-right forces, to build Ulsan as a democratic city."
He also declared, "I will create an Ulsan where corporate innovation is respected and the value of labor is protected." He added, "I will look only to the citizens, think only of their interests, and listen with humility and act accordingly."
Kim further pledged to implement his "four-point reform of election campaigning" to fundamentally transform the political culture of Ulsan Metropolitan City.
The four reform pledges are: elections without negative campaigning or smear tactics; refraining from old-style, organization-driven machine politics; not using loud street campaign trucks, which he said can amount to a kind of violence against citizens; and moving away from simply showing one’s face for recognition and engaging in perfunctory handshakes.
Kim said, "These election reforms are the basic courtesy and attitude that a public servant should have." He added, "To build a healthy election culture, I hope all candidates running in the local elections, including those from the People Power Party (PPP) and the Progressive Party, will join this effort."
Asked by reporters about whether, when, and how he might unify candidacies with other progressive forces, he replied, "Joining forces with the Progressive Party, the Rebuilding Korea Party, and others to stand up to a particular party that shows no remorse is an act of defending democracy." He added, "The specifics will be worked out in consultation with the party leadership."
On questions about whether he would resign his National Assembly seat and how to handle a by-election in his current Nam-gu Gap constituency, he said, "What matters most is the will of the citizens of the Nam-gu Gap constituency." He continued, "I do not have a personal position on this; the political judgment of the party leadership must be taken into account."
If an incumbent lawmaker resigns before the 30th of next month, a by-election will be held alongside the June 3 local elections. If the resignation comes after that date, the by-election will be postponed until next year.
ulsan@fnnews.com Reporter Choi Soo-sang Reporter