Kang Hoon-sik urges party to seize regional development opportunity amid industrial boom

Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said Thursday that advanced industries, including semiconductors, are driving explosive growth and expanding companies, and called on the government to focus on how it can respond to businesses' needs.

Kang delivered a lecture on "second-year state affairs direction and governance plans" at a Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers' workshop held at Dragon City Hotel in Seoul, floor spokesperson Kim Seong-hoe told reporters.

Kang said the industrial boom was further overheating the Greater Seoul area, citing regions such as Honam as examples. "At times like these, this can become a new opportunity for greater regional development," he said, adding that local governments should take the lead in planning while the central government follows their cue to create new momentum for regional growth.

He also said the fruits of growth must be distributed equitably to everyone, and that clear rules are needed when pursuing such goals.

In response, lawmakers shared opinions with Kang on implementing youth policy and proposed and discussed ways to secure electricity supply in the AI era, Kim said.

Kang also told Democratic Party lawmakers that "the public changes very easily, and politics is a 100 percent demand-driven market," urging them to "become a party that responds well to public demand."