Kim Min-seok launches push to win over the Nakdong River Belt, putting support for Busan front and center

[Financial News] Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), visited Busan on the 16th and pledged full support for the Lee Jae-myung administration’s vision of Busan as a maritime capital and for Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-su’s livelihood policies, setting out to win over voters in the Yeongnam region. By also signaling that on-site Supreme Council meetings in Busan could become a regular event, he appeared to be laying the groundwork to expand the DPK’s political base in the Nakdong River Belt ahead of the 2028 general election.
Kim held an on-site Supreme Council meeting in Busan that day and said, “The Democratic Party has always felt that Busan is one of our own regions. We’ll come often so people get used to seeing us as ‘always here,’ rather than asking, ‘You’re back again?’” He added, “Holding Supreme Council meetings in Busan will become a familiar sight to Busan residents,” signaling that the party would maintain its close engagement with the region.
He particularly stressed his determination to secure new growth drivers for Busan by advancing the Lee Jae-myung administration’s vision for balanced regional development. Kim said, “We will make Busan a maritime capital,” and announced that he would push for the enactment of an Arctic Shipping Route Special Act and the establishment of an Arctic Shipping Route Committee within the year. On plans to build a domed arena at Busan North Port, he said it “will become a hub for culture and tourism across the entire southeastern region, not just Busan,” expressing his willingness to provide active support. He also said the party would support Mayor Jeon’s administration.  
He also emphasized Busan’s historic ties. Calling Busan “one of the two pillars of South Korea’s democratization, alongside Gwangju,” Kim pledged, “As we mark the 47th anniversary of the Busan–Masan Uprising, we will press ahead unwaveringly with establishing the truth, restoring the honor of the victims and including the uprising in the preamble to the Constitution.” The remarks appear aimed at reaching Busan voters by highlighting the region’s history of democratization.
Kim’s visit to Busan is part of a strategy to broaden the party’s reach in Yeongnam ahead of the 2028 general election. Having previously stressed the importance of the Nakdong River Belt in the next general election, Kim is seen as seeking to link the Lee Jae-myung administration’s maritime-capital policies with Mayor Jeon’s livelihood policies, deliver visible results in Busan and extend them across Yeongnam. In particular, his commitment to making visits to Busan an ongoing part of the party’s on-the-ground activities, rather than a one-off event, suggests that he will also focus on expanding local party organization and the party’s support base.

[email protected] Song Ji-won Reporter