Rep. Lee Cheol-woo of the ruling Saenuri Party and two-term legislator from Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, speaks on the need for close ties between the Yeongnam(Gyeongsang provinces) and Honam(Jeolla Provinces) regions in the country at an initial meeting to launch the East-West Forum for lawmakers from those regions.(Photo: Rep. Lee’s Office)

In his New Year’s address before the people of his election district, Rep. Lee Cheol-woo of the ruling Saenuri Party and a two-term legislator from Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, promised he shall do his best to broaden communication among the residents in his election district so they can live in harmony and happiness with each other.

He pledged to overcome the regional conflicts around the country, especially the Yeongnam and Honam regions, to lay a foundation for the reunification of the divided Koreas, leading a giant campaign this year.

The legislator said the East-West Forum, which he helped to set up, will be a welcome mat for solutions to regional conflicts around the country and a solid foundation for reunification of the divided Koreas. 

This year, the Year of the Goat in the lunar calendar, he will try to maximize the happiness of the citizens in Gimcheon by building it as a brand-name city. He said he was born in the Year of Goat and the domestic animal has been a symbol for sacrifice, honesty and justice with a warm nature, not knowing how to inflict harm on others, always known as well-natured animal in various folk tales, dreams and folk sayings.

He served on a number of 19th National Assembly committees, such as the Political Reform Committee,and the Public Servant Annual Pension Committee, and was charged with taking care of reform.  

“My temperament for self-sacrifice and the sense for justice. In 2015, the Year of the Goat,” he said. “I will spare no effort for the sake of both you, the residents and Gimcheon like a goat in this year of the Goat.”

Rep. Lee declared that President Park Geun-hye should be successful as the Chief Executive of Korea, which would also be a success for Korea as a nation. He is ready to do his best for so that people won’t have to worry about politics. 

Chairman Kim Mu-sung of the ruling Saenuri Party called Rep. Lee his “loving brother” during a meeting of the ruling party’s key officials in Gimcheon on Dec. 30, 2014.

On April 18, 2014, Rep. Lee called for the establishment of the National Safety Office to be placed directly under the Prime Minister’s Office to take charge of all major national disasters, like the Sewol sinking a month before. On April 30, 2014, President Park unveiled the establishment of the Ministry of National Public Safety and Security during the ministerial conference at Cheong Wa Dae and announced the official set up of the new government agency on May 19, 2014. On Nov. 19, 2014, the Ministry of National Public Safety and Security was formally established.

Rep. Lee also had a big hand in making Gimcheon a hub city in the region during the seven years of his service as a legislator from Gimcheon from 2007 to 2014. He helped secure a lot of funds from the central government for various infrastructural and welfare projects in and around the city. 

Some of the biggest projects financed by the funds include a project to expand the highway from Gimcheon to Kyori, a distance of 9.7 km, to four lanes at the cost of 88.2 billion won; a project to expand the second section of the highway from Gimcheon to Kyori, a distance of 7.4 km, to four lanes, costing 87.6 billion won; a project to build a police station in the hub city of Gimcheon for 1.23 billion won; and a project to prepare for the construction of the Daedeok Da,m costing 82.2 billion won, among others. 

Rep. Lee also secured the allocation of 148 billion won for various welfare projects in Gimcheon from the central government, 107 billion won to help develop farmlands in the Gimcheon region, 48 billion won for projects to protect environment of the region, the cultural and tourism project costing 50 billion won, and a project to improve transportation and traffic systems in the region around Gmcheon for 35 billion won.