![Pohang City Council Speaker Kim Il-man announces his bid for Pohang mayor on the 28th in front of the ‘Goddess Statue’ in Songdo. [Photo=Kim Il-man, Pohang City Council speaker]](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2026/01/29/20260129014640429752.jpg)
He adopted the campaign slogan “Only Pohang, only citizens, therefore Kim Il-man,” and set “a self-sufficient city where citizens are happy, a Pohang that feels good to live in” as his municipal administration slogan.
“Politics is ultimately about making citizens’ daily lives less inconvenient and giving them a sense a month later that ‘things have changed,’” Kim said. Rather than listing lengthy, sweeping pledges, he said he would clearly set the city’s direction and move the entire administration consistently under it.
Kim said Pohang’s growth agenda should move “together,” not “separately.” He argued that when industry, the port, tourism and urban renewal operate on their own, results weaken and residents feel less impact. “Now we need a ‘city administration blueprint’ that ties scattered projects into one direction,” he said.
“Achievements that citizens can’t feel ultimately don’t last,” he added, saying he would judge city policy by changes in daily life rather than by numbers.
Kim named Yeongil Bay Port as the first key pillar of Pohang’s development, saying port revitalization must be linked to regional and national strategies. He said he would establish ongoing cooperation channels with the central government, North Gyeongsang Province and industry to secure cargo volume and routes and make Pohang a gateway to the East Sea economic region.
He also presented a single track that includes redefining Homigot’s status, restoring the old downtown and strengthening Pohang’s city brand.
“Cities are not completed by industry alone. There must be a structure where people stay and return,” Kim said. He said a city is complete when alleys are lit after work, children can walk safely, older residents have shade to rest, and young people have places to stay. He pledged to link development and renewal to bring people back to the city center.
Kim said politics is “not words but action,” and that leaders must follow through to the end. He pledged an administration that citizens feel they can trust with responsibility.
“Explanations will be sufficient, decisions will be made openly, and results will be verified through indicators,” he said, adding that he would focus on Pohang and its citizens to open the city’s next 10 years.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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