President Lee: "I had high expectations… Isn't it too optimistic?"

President Lee Jae-myung conducted a town hall meeting in Gwangju, where he reprimanded Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-jeong for excessively lengthy responses.

On the 25th, President Lee led a 'Town Hall Meeting with Citizens of Gwangju and Jeonnam' at the Gwangju National Asian Culture Complex.

During the event, President Lee repeatedly asked the question, "When, what, and how should the government act?"

Holding the microphone, President Lee sought detailed answers regarding local issues such as the relocation of Gwangju Military Airport from Governor Kim Young-rok of Jeonnam, Mayor Kang Ki-jeong of Gwangju, and Mayor Kim San of Muan.

The issue of relocating the Gwangju Military Airport to Muan has remained unresolved for over ten years due to disagreements between Gwangju City and Muan County in Jeonnam.

In relation to this, President Lee asked Mayor Kang, "What is the estimated benefit from the relocation of the military airport?" However, as Kang's response became verbose, the president insisted, "Just give me the conclusion."

As local government leaders expressed differing opinions on the noise from the military airport, President Lee directly asked local residents, "Do you really hear the noise?"

While promising government support, President Lee also drew the line on unrealistic demands from some local governments. When asked to reduce electricity rates provided to regional industrial complexes, he replied, "That's difficult. The electricity price is already below the generation cost; how can we handle it?" Instead, he emphasized the need to focus on the government's deregulation policies.

Specifically, regarding Governor Kim’s national industrial complex plan, he questioned, "I wonder if my expectations were too high; I'm doubtful whether companies will really line up once the government grants development permits and allocates industrial complex quotas and builds infrastructure," asking, "Isn't that too optimistic?"

He further expressed skepticism to Mayor Kang regarding "whether the AI-related projects in Gwangju will truly succeed," and requested, "Since the utility is reportedly significantly low and it's said they can't even cover operating costs, please tell us specific support measures that are needed."

Additionally, a resident from Buk-gu, Gwangju, expressed that "the law school system is structured such that only the privileged can attend," stating that "the abolition of the bar exam has compromised fairness in entering the legal profession."

In response, President Lee noted, "Personally, I believe that if someone has the skills, they should be able to verify their qualifications as a lawyer even without attending law school," and instructed his staff to "be cautious in making it an official agenda, but consider the citizens' opinions."

The event, initially scheduled for 1 hour and 30 minutes, was extended to last 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Image Source: On the 25th, President Lee Jae-myung is seen conducting a town hall meeting with citizens of Gwangju and Jeonnam at the Gwangju National Asian Culture Complex. / News1, On the 25th, President Lee Jae-myung is seen arriving at Gwangju Airport to attend the town hall meeting with citizens of Gwangju and Jeonnam at the Gwangju National Asian Culture Complex. / News1