Kim Woo-young's Gwanggyo Column The Unfinished 'Path of Kim Dong-yeon'

Much work remains to be done for Gyeonggi Province and the Republic of Korea

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon, born in 1957, is my age.

I do not have a deep acquaintance with him. Although we live in the same region, we have not had any particularly memorable encounters.

Of course, being from the same locality, we have exchanged handshakes a few times in passing.

Two years ago, we met while taking a walk at Gwanggyo Lake Park and exchanged a few words. He was with his wife, Mrs. Chung Woo-young, who made a gentle impression. Whenever citizens greeted him and asked for photographs, he would readily comply with a kind smile on his face.

On another occasion, it was around the same time at a restaurant near Ingyeong-dong Nae Hyae-seok Street. It was while I was dining with the late master calligrapher Keun-dang Yang Taek-dong, a respected elder whom I admired. Both Keun-dang and I are lovers of good drinks, so when faced with good food, we could not settle for just water—we began with a glass or two of high-proof liquor as an accompaniment, which gradually increased to two or three bottles.

Someone peeked through the door crack into the room and said, "Oh, my apologies. They are not my family members," and bowed politely. It was Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon.

In his hand was a plate of dumplings. After we exchanged greetings, I asked why he was doing this. He replied, "My staff members came together, and I was wondering if they were eating properly, so I wanted to provide them with some dumplings."

That Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon failed in the Democratic Party primary for Gyeonggi Province governor that was recently held.

Governor Kim expressed his gratitude to volunteers and supporters who had worked alongside him through his Facebook page. "I humbly accept your choice. I, Kim Dong-yeon, had many shortcomings. I will take this result as an opportunity for reflection and growth," and he gracefully accepted the outcome.

Governor Kim lost his father at age eleven. To support his family, he graduated from a commercial high school and was hired by a bank. While attending evening university, at age twenty-five he passed both the Administrative Civil Service Examination and the Legislative Civil Service Examination simultaneously.

He was appointed as the inaugural Vice Minister of Economy under the Moon Jae-in administration, served as Presidential Secretary for Economic and Finance Affairs and Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance under the Lee Myung-bak administration, and was appointed Director of the Presidential Chief of Staff's office during the Park Geun-hye administration. He also served as president of Ajou University.

During his tenure as Gyeonggi Province governor, he earned the nickname 'someone who gets things done,' working tirelessly day and night to promote major projects and achieve substantial results. He accomplished over 100 trillion won in foreign investment in just three and a half years.

Among various policies, the one that particularly caught my attention was 'Gyeonggi RE100.' Through the Gyeonggi RE100 policy, renewable energy power equivalent to one nuclear reactor is being generated.

When controversy arose recently over the power supply issue at the Yongin semiconductor cluster, Governor Kim proposed the idea of 'underground roads for new routes.'

While I did not attend the book launch event for 'Living as Myself' held on March 2nd, I found many parts of the book's content relatable.

"Politics is not completed by sound judgment alone. What ultimately moves people's lives is 'empathy,'" is one such reflection. It was an honest confession about the political field, which differs from ideals.

Though not widely known, Governor Kim Dong-yeon has been consistently engaged in charitable activities. Since his days as Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance, he has extended a helping hand to facilities such as children's welfare centers. It is known that he currently provides approximately 4 million won monthly to nearly forty facilities. During the confirmation hearing for the position of Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance in 2017, it was revealed that he had donated an amount close to half of his annual salary as university president. During his tenure as Gyeonggi Province governor, he continued monthly support to welfare facilities in all 31 cities and counties.

Of course, behind such charitable giving was the support of his wife, Mrs. Chung Woo-young.

Recently, an even more touching story came to light.

The fact that Governor Kim held the funeral of his eldest son, his mother-in-law's funeral, and his second son's wedding ceremony without informing even his closest associates became known belatedly. (Related article: News S, 15th, 'Kim Kap-dong's Perspective—The Profound Resonance of Kim Dong-yeon's Public and Private Matters')

When Governor Kim was serving as Director of the Presidential Chief of Staff's office in 2013, his eldest son passed away from leukemia, but he did not inform even his closest associates. On the day of the funeral procession, he reported to his office and personally announced a 'comprehensive countermeasure against nuclear power plant irregularities.'

On the night before the Gyeonggi Province audit in 2023, he experienced the death of his mother-in-law. News of his mother-in-law's passing was only made known after the audit concluded.

On March 22nd, the final day of voting in the Democratic Party primary, his youngest son's wedding ceremony took place, but he conducted the ceremony quietly with only family members, without informing anyone around him. This is what 'public and private matters' means.

After the primary ended in defeat, Governor Kim left the words, "Our path has not ended." The 'path of Kim Dong-yeon' will not end either. It would be a loss to bury the abilities he has demonstrated while conducting state affairs and leading provincial administration.

I extend my hopes for the future of Governor Kim Dong-yeon, who will walk the unfinished path again.