Daejeon’s Future: How Candidate Lee Jang-woo Plans to Revolutionize Transportation with a New 3-Stage Articulated Bus

Lee Jang-woo, a candidate for Daejeon mayor, returned to political life on the 1st by launching his campaign committee. 

At his campaign office in Tanbang-dong, ahead of formal committee appointments, Lee criticized his predecessor, saying the previous mayor failed to even break ground on the Yuseong multi-purpose terminal during his combined 12 years as mayor and Yuseong district head. Lee said he completed the Yuseong complex terminal—from construction start to finish—during his own term.

He also accused the former mayor of being powerless when lawmakers and district heads sought to relocate the Ministry of SMEs and Startups from Daejeon to Sejong, and contrasted that with his own record, saying he moved the Defense Acquisition Program Administration—expected to oversee an annual budget of about 17 trillion KRW (approximately $12.75 billion)—in a single decisive action.

Lee hailed the nation’s first trial run of a catenary-free, three-section articulated vehicle as a potential transport revolution, suggesting it could be incorporated into plans for Daejeon subway lines 3, 4 and 5. 
 
He also criticized the previous administration for losing Rainbow Robotics—projected to have a market capitalization of around 13 trillion KRW (approximately $9.75 billion)—to Sejong, and for failing to secure national competitive projects such as K-Bio Lab.

Lee unveiled a mammoth campaign council, naming 792 members in the first round and branding it the “A Greater Daejeon” campaign committee. 

“This campaign committee is not merely an election machine,” Lee said. “It is an executive organization tasked with designing and delivering Daejeon’s future. Building on four years of achievement, we have assembled top talent from every sector to keep Daejeon’s development moving forward without pause.”

He appointed Lee Sang-rae, chair of the Daejeon Dong-gu party chapter; Lee Taek-gu, chair of the Daejeon Yuseong-gu (Gap) party chapter; Choi Seon-hee, former head of the Daejeon Lifelong Education Promotion Institute; and Choi Seong-ah, former deputy mayor for political, economic and science affairs at the Daejeon metropolitan government, as co-chief campaign chairs.

Han Pyeong-yong, chairman of Cheongpung, will serve as chief senior advisor, and lawyers Kim So-yeon and Choi Seong-ah will jointly lead the legal support team.

Professor Choi Ho-taek of Paichai University’s public administration department will chair the policy advisory committee, and Lee Hyun-seok, special advisor for young small-business owners, will head the youth committee.

Chae Ji-young, president of the Daejeon Makeup Chapter, will chair the beauty industry committee, and attorney Lee Hyun will join as policy advisory director. The Future Generations Committee will be co-chaired by Baek Jong-seok, Song Jun-won, Yoon Ho, Lee Sung-hee, Lee Chan-sol and Joo Man-hae.