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Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), appeals for voter support during a campaign rally at Seoul Station Plaza on May 19. / Photo by Song Ui-joo

Ruling People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo vowed on May 19 to complete and expand the Greater Seoul express railway network (GTX) nationwide, declaring that “transportation is welfare” during a rain-soaked rally at Seoul Station Plaza.

“I will ensure the definite completion of GTX lines A through F,” Kim said to a packed crowd chanting “President Kim Moon-soo!” despite the rainy weather. “Not just the capital region, but I will bring the GTX to the provinces and spark a nationwide transportation revolution.”

Kim began his speech with a deep bow to citizens and expressed regret about regional imbalances in infrastructure. “Seoul Station has developed immensely—with KTX, GTX, and the airport railroad to Incheon. I dream of it growing even greater than Tokyo Station,” he said, stressing the importance of transport policy in urban development.

He criticized past Seoul mayors for opposing the GTX project. “The GTX A Line from Paju to Dongtan has yet to be completed,” Kim noted. “If commuting takes under an hour and home-to-work distances shrink to 30 minutes, we’ll reclaim lives with evening leisure.”

Calling the GTX “a world-class, revolutionary railway,” Kim said, “Korea has achieved miracles in shipbuilding, automobiles, railroads, and aviation. Now, I will lead our aerospace industry to the moon.”

Kim emphasized that for advanced rail systems, Korea needs faster tracks, high-speed trains, and collision-free signaling technology.

Addressing economic concerns, Kim criticized U.S. tariffs. “Hyundai plans to invest 31 trillion won to build a plant in the U.S. because of high tariffs,” he said. “If I become president, I’ll meet with U.S. President Donald Trump to remove or reduce those tariffs more than any other country.”

He also promised to successfully manage future U.S. demands on defense cost-sharing for U.S. troops stationed in Korea.

On research investment, Kim pledged to attract global R&D centers to Korea. “We’ll create ‘dream jobs’ at home so young people no longer have to go abroad,” he said.

Kim also took aim at Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, saying, “When Lee took office as Gyeonggi governor, the province had 1 trillion won in debt. He left it with 4 trillion won.” In contrast, Kim claimed, “During my 8 years as governor, I paid off debt and created 43% of the nation's jobs in Gyeonggi Province.”

He continued, “Even though I led projects many times larger than Daejang-dong, I was never investigated for corruption. For my last three years as governor, Gyeonggi ranked No. 1 in public sector integrity, but after Lee took over, it fell to the bottom.”

Kim concluded by saying, “I will be a clean president. A jobs president. A people’s president. An economic president. A security president who strengthens the Korea-U.S. alliance and protects us from North Korea’s nuclear blackmail. I will make Korea greater and our people happier,” he said in a rousing finale despite the rain.