▲ Governor An Heejung, Successfully Reelected

The residents of the Chungnam province selected the consecutive appointment of the incumbent governor An Heejung of The New Politics Alliance for Democracy in the 6th gubernatorial election by popular vote in the 5th Nationwide Local Election, which was held on the 4th of June. Accordingly, the Chungnam province is scheduled to hold the 37th governor inaugural ceremony at the Culture and Art Center in the provincial government building to declare the official establishment of the 6th local government on the 1st of July.
 

Governor-elect An Heejung began to receive attention as a next-generation leader of the opposition parties as he led the provincial administration smoothly after having become the first governor of the Chungnam province who is affiliated to an opposition party, formerly the Democratic Party, in the 36th gubernatorial election of the 5th local government in 2010.

Through this election, he firmly established his position as he received a renewed confidence with the slogan ※the Representative Player of Chungcheong§ in this election. The governor-elect, An, assessed his performance by saying that the reason he could succeed in reelection was the encouragement of the provincial residents for his political orientation and aspiration.
 
An said in his address on being elected, "I have challenged and practiced important tasks of Korea in the provincial administration including three rural [agriculture and fisheries, farmers and fishermen, farming and fishing villages], reformation tasks, administrative reformation, and citizen autonomy during the 5th local government," and clarified that he ※will make a breakthrough in resolving the immediate crisis of Korea by the local government by pushing these tasks forward more concretely during the 6th local government."
 
In the first press interview after the election on June 9, they could see the big picture that the governor-elect is going to draw from now. At this occasion, An revealed the plan to newly promote a variety of projects while continuing to ※advance without discontinuation§ with a number of projects that have been conducted during the 5th local government.

He stated that first of all he is ※planning to present alternatives of the regime more actively for the local autonomy and local development, and then propose them to the National Assembly and the President". In addition to that, he emphasized "the suitable autonomous rights should be given so that the title ＆Local Government＊ [that] can be used in name and reality in order to make good examples of local governments, the driving force of the government administration".
 
An also solidified his resolve by starting the 6th local government by commenting that he ※will fulfill the vision of the western sea in the era of Pan Yellow Sea Region, which was planned in the 5th local government, not to mention the three rural reformation tasks, and try my utmost to arrange the foundation of sustainable growth and balanced development".
 
The interest in the challenge to the presidency is growing along with the plan for the 6th local government. The governor-elect spoke earlier on May 17 during the election campaign that he has ※confidence in the operation of local government, and I will announce to become the leader of Korea even the next day."

He seems to have solidified his place as the next presidential nominee with the success of this reelection. In response to this assessment, An said, "Although it is an honorable idea, there is more to prepare." He added, "Only when I have enough capacity on the level of local government, the name of the presidential candidate will be befittingly rewarded, but now I am not fully prepared."
 
On the one hand, the Chungnam province plans to promote the establishment of the course of the 6th local government and the arrangement of the opportunity for local harmony as a priority as well as the preparation of the second-phase plan for the period before and after the inauguration while starting the preparatory work for the successful inauguration of the 6th local government in full scale.