**Buddha’s Birthday ‘Winning Hearts’ at AK Department Store in Wonju: Conservative Rally**
[Wonju=Newsis] Reporter Lee Deok-hwa – On the 24th, Kim Moon-soo, former Minister of Employment and Labor and honorary campaign chairman of the People Power Party, visited Wonju on Buddha’s Birthday to rally support for candidates Kim Jin-tae, running for Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Governor, and Won Kang-soo, running for Wonju Mayor.
Former Minister Kim concentrated on consolidating the conservative base and expanding centrist support through visits to Seongmun Temple and a joint campaign at Bonghwasan Intersection, stating, “The provincial and city administrations need to work as a united team for Wonju’s future industrial advancement.”
The day began with a visit to Cheontae Order’s Seongmun Temple in Haenggu-dong, Wonju, where Kim met with the head monk, Buddhists, and citizens. He expressed his wish for “Buddha’s light of compassion to fill every household in Wonju” and emphasized the need for the governor and mayor to operate as a strong team for groundbreaking development in Gangwon-do and Wonju.
Continuing his support, Kim argued that by uniting, Kim Jin-tae and Won Kang-soo could expedite key projects like establishing a semiconductor cluster, building an advanced industrial base, and attracting businesses.
At 5 PM, Kim attended and delivered a support speech at a joint campaign rally held in front of AK Department Store at Bonghwasan Intersection. During his support speech, Kim highlighted that “Drawing from my experience of attracting Samsung while serving as Gyeonggi Province Governor, inducing semiconductor industries and large companies requires strong leadership and administrative power.” He emphasized that candidates Kim Jin-tae and Won Kang-soo are suited to develop Wonju into a central economic city in the central region.
Candidate Won Kang-soo vowed to fulfill promises for economic revitalization, education, and welfare, expanding initiatives like industrial complex development, business attraction, and nurturing semiconductor and AI-based industries to ensure ongoing growth for Wonju.
Local political circles speculated that former Minister Kim’s visit to Wonju might significantly impact consolidating conservative support and expanding centrist votes. They analyzed that this could mark the start of a full-scale campaign effort in the Wonju region as the election approaches its final stages.