Ha Jung-woo: "Make Buk District the No. 1 AI Hub" Park Min-sik: "Underground the Gupo Station railway" Han Dong-hoon: "Develop the Nakdong River waterfront"

【The Financial News Busan=Lee Hae-ram】 Policy competition has begun in earnest in Busan Buk-gu-gap, widely seen as the fiercest battleground in the June 3 by-elections for the National Assembly. Ha Jung-woo of the Democratic Party of Korea is accelerating the design of AI-related pledges based on his expertise in artificial intelligence, while Park Min-sik of the PPP plans to rebuild the slumping district by undergrounding the Gyeongbu Line railway. Han Dong-hoon, an independent candidate, said he would build a complex arena along the Nakdong River waterfront and turn the area into something like the Han River district in Seoul.
On the 19th, Ha held an "AI Company Roundtable" at his Buk District campaign office and met with young entrepreneurs. Ha, who served as the first Senior Presidential Secretary for AI Future Planning and previously worked as an AI developer, has been emphasizing his expertise in the field. That day, he listened closely to business leaders and took notes on suggestions for promoting the AI industry.
His No. 1 pledge is also directly tied to AI. He has said, "I will make Buk District the No. 1 AI hub in South Korea," and has presented a vision that includes creating a West Busan AI Theme Valley. His plan is to attract AI companies, research institutes and youth startup centers to Buk District, turning it into the "Teheran-ro of West Busan." He also wants AI to be actively used across a wide range of areas, including education, care services and the revitalization of local commercial districts.
Park made the undergrounding of the Gyeongbu Line near Gupo Station, which he says has divided Buk District, his No. 1 pledge. He argued that the railway area has contributed to the district's decline and has cut off human and material exchanges between the two sides. He also said he would do everything possible to have the project adopted as a national initiative.
If the Gyeongbu Line is buried underground, he plans to attract various landmarks and industrial facilities above it. He told The Financial News, "The undergrounding of the Gyeongbu Line is the basic ground for a master plan that looks 100 years ahead for Buk District," adding, "Once it is underground, land will open up above it, and we will be able to attract landmarks and industrial facilities."
Han held a press conference to announce his pledges and promised to create a "Nakdong River Golden Belt" in Buk District, turning it into "a city where people and money gather." His vision is to build a "K-Complex Arena" along the Nakdong River waterfront, with performance and sports facilities, and develop it into a landmark not only for Busan but for South Korea as a whole.
He said, "We have not even thought about developing the Nakdong River the way the Han River was developed," signaling broad-based redevelopment. Citing places such as Manhattan in New York and Barcelona in Spain, he said tourism hubs have been built around traditional markets. He wants to create a walkable tourism zone across Buk District centered on the Nakdong River and Gupo Market, drawing domestic and international visitors and boosting the local economy. He also repeatedly stressed the need to "normalize undervalued asset values," which appears to refer to Buk District's real estate prices. The remark is seen as reflecting his intention to help local residents build assets by revitalizing the regional economy.
haeram@fnnews.com Reporter