With 41 days remaining until the Gangwon Provincial Governor election, preliminary candidates from both ruling and opposition parties have begun to target the votes of residents in the border regions. Woo Sang-ho, the candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, proposed economic revitalization and improved living conditions through a joint 'Peace Zone' agreement. Kim Jin-tae, the candidate from the People Power Party, seeks to boost the local economy through an eco-tourism vision for the Cheorwon DMZ. Both sides envision the future of Gangwon Province's border regions in different ways.

Preliminary candidates from both ruling and opposition parties, competing for the Gangwon Provincial Governor position in the June 3 local elections, are putting border region policies at the forefront, appealing for the support of provincial residents. With 41 days left until the election, Democratic Party of Korea preliminary candidate Woo Sang-ho and People Power Party preliminary candidate Kim Jin-tae are solidifying their respective visions for Gangwon Province's development, focusing on issues directly related to the lives of local residents. In particular, attention to the border regions, which have long endured sacrifices due to security regulations and isolation, is emerging as a key pledge for both candidates.

▲ Candidate Woo Sang-ho's 'Peace Zone' Vision and Regional Cooperation

Democratic Party of Korea preliminary candidate Woo Sang-ho held a press conference on April 23, 2026, at the National Assembly Communication Hall for the 'Agreement for New Change and Coexistence in the Border Regions of Gangwon, Gyeonggi, and Incheon.' This agreement was established with the aim of transforming the historical sacrifices of the border regions into opportunities for mutual growth and ushering in a new era of prosperity centered around the DMZ. Candidate Woo, along with Gyeonggi Provincial Governor candidate Choo Mi-ae and Incheon Metropolitan City Mayor candidate Park Chan-dae, both from the same party, agreed to rename the border regions as 'Peace Zones.' They united on key tasks such as exploring institutional improvement measures, redefining DMZ eco-peace tourism and the Korean Peninsula peace economy hub, strengthening policy cooperation, and fostering solidarity through the activation of the 'Peace Zone Metropolitan Council.' Candidate Woo emphasized that he would respond to the patience and dedication of the border region residents who have protected South Korea's security for the past 73 years, stating that he would remove outdated regulations and draw a new map for a peace economy to definitively change the lives of provincial residents. He also expressed his commitment to establishing regular consultative meetings to jointly pursue specific policies and secure full support from the central government. Furthermore, he attended a joint meeting of 16 Democratic Party metropolitan candidates, responding to the urgent plea of provincial residents to "please save Gangwon Province," and stressed that full support from the central government and the party is essential for Gangwon Province to become special.

▲ Candidate Kim Jin-tae's Eco-tourism-Centered Regional Revitalization Strategy

On the same day, People Power Party preliminary candidate Kim Jin-tae visited the 'DMZ Crane Peace Town' located in Dongsong-eup, Cheorwon-gun, presenting a vision for regional revitalization through eco-tourism. This visit was made to reconfirm the value of the DMZ Crane Peace Town and the migratory bird habitat, which Gangwon Province designated as a 'Geological and Ecological Attraction' in February 2026. Candidate Kim emphasized that migratory birds visiting the Cheorwon Plain are precious guests symbolizing the health of the local ecosystem, while also stressing the need for perfect quarantine measures against negative impacts such as viruses that could be introduced from outside. He added that during the 'Highly Pathogenic AI Special Quarantine Period,' which lasted from October 2025 to April 17, 2026, nine cases of AI virus were detected in wild birds at migratory bird habitats, but prompt preemptive measures ensured that not a single case of AI occurred in poultry farms within the province. Candidate Kim promised to build a smart tourism model that preserves Gangwon Province's ecological value while linking it to regional economic revitalization. He expressed his ambition to combine the province's forests, oceans, and ecological resources to elevate Gangwon Province into a 'Global Wellness Tourism Hub' sought after by people worldwide, beyond South Korea. He added that by fostering high-value-added tourism content that goes beyond simple scenic viewing to include healing, relaxation, and advanced technology, he would make Gangwon Province a vibrant, premium tourist destination throughout all four seasons.

▲ Future Direction of Gangwon Province's Border Region Development and Policy Differences

While both candidates' border region policies share the common goals of revitalizing the local economy and improving residents' quality of life—pressing issues for Gangwon Province—they exhibit clear differences in their approaches. Woo Sang-ho's strategy emphasizes the creation of a 'Peace Zone' through cooperation among metropolitan entities, along with deregulation and the establishment of a peace economy supported by the central government. This is analyzed as an attempt to resolve the structural problems of the border regions through political agreement and institutional improvements. In contrast, Kim Jin-tae's plan aims to invigorate the local economy by leveraging Gangwon Province's rich ecological resources for 'eco-tourism' as a core driver. Specifically, his strategy focuses on strengthening the region's unique competitiveness by preserving the natural value of the DMZ while linking it with smart technology to develop high-value-added tourism products. Over the remaining 41 days until the June 3 local elections, both candidates are expected to intensify the specificity of their policies and focus on persuading residents of the border regions about their feasibility to win their support. The future of Gangwon Province's border regions is projected to depend on which of these two distinct visions gains more traction.