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Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), delivers a speech during the campaign committee launch and appointment ceremony at the PPP Busan City Chapter in Busan on May 13. / Photo by Song Ui-joo

Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), toured the key southeastern cities of Daegu, Ulsan, and Busan in a single day on May 13, capping off the day with a fiery campaign rally in Busan where he lashed out at opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and pledged sweeping regional development.

Speaking at the PPP Busan City Chapter at 4:20 p.m., Kim declared, “The heat in Busan is more than five degrees higher—this fiery spirit will burn down every lying politician trying to turn our country into a dictatorship.” He specifically targeted the Democratic Party and its candidate Lee Jae-myung, saying, “A party that won’t even relocate the Korea Development Bank? The people of Busan should tear them apart. A man who curses at his own sister-in-law—shouldn’t he be torn apart too?”

Kim emphasized the importance of relocating key public institutions to the region, saying, “Busan citizens are passionate, just, and full of love—they won’t be fooled by lies. There’s no reason why the Korea Development Bank can’t be moved. Land’s already prepared, procedures are complete. Korea Electric Power moved to Naju, LH to Jinju—why not KDB?”

Boasting of his record, Kim contrasted himself with Lee Jae-myung: “In Gyeonggi Province, I developed areas twenty times larger than Lee’s Daejang-dong. Yet I’ve never been investigated, and no one around me died mysteriously. How many people died after just that 300,000-pyeong Daejang-dong project?”

He continued, “Every time he touches something, people get arrested or die mysteriously. Public officials rot away. What happens if someone like that becomes president? Would anything be left of Korea?”

Kim pledged to push forward with the Korea Development Bank relocation and the new Gadeokdo airport project, envisioning a unified Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam area as a global maritime hub: “I will build a powerful global hub city that can compete with Seoul head-on.”

He promised sweeping deregulation: “If I become president, I’ll transfer all greenbelt management, release, and development authority for Busan—excluding the Seoul metro area—to the Busan mayor within a month. For non-metropolitan areas with stagnant population growth, I’ll lift all restrictions and let local leaders decide.”

After the event, Kim headed to Jagalchi Market, mingling with vendors and pledging to be a “president of the markets.” “To attract global businesses to Busan, we’ll remove regulations and cut taxes. Businesses need to know they can truly make money here—Kim Moon-soo will make that happen,” he said.

Wrapping up the day, he declared, “Together with you, the great people of Busan, I will build a city that surpasses Singapore and Hong Kong. I, Kim Moon-soo, do not tell lies. I only speak the truth.” His supporters responded with loud cheers.