PPP's Kim pledges support in R&D as he tours Gyeongsang-do region for 3rd straight day

The conservative camp's Kim Moon-soo has begun Day 4 of campaigning back here in Seoul, reaching out to commuters this morning.

On Wednesday, he wrapped up campaigning in the southeast with emphasis on nurturing science and tech sectors.

Our Kim Do-yeon reports.

For the third straight day on Wednesday, People Power Party's presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo campaigned in the Gyeongsang-do region hitting cities in Gyeongsangnam-do Province to be exact.

As the cities in the province are specialized in their own industries with a focus on science and tech, as he visited Korea AeroSpace Administration in Sacheon, he pledged better investment in the science sector with more administrative power by creating Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Tech.

"Why do we need a deputy prime minister for science? It's because it shows the nation's will, which means budget and power, and this is the only way to yield results. Anything said other than this doesn't matter."

Kim Moon-soo says without science and technology, there is no future—adding that while it may not bring in votes, any leader who cares about Korea's long-term growth must invest heavily in the field.

He also revealed his pledge on science and research which included measures to support research and development in general, but one aspect that stood out was his pledge to send a man to the moon in 2032 and have a Mars rover project by 2045.

Also during his visit to Doosan Enerbility in Changwon, Kim praised the company's resilience through Korea's nuclear phase-out and pledged full support if elected president—especially in advancing SMR technology and leaving politics out of industries.

Doosan is the company for the Czech Republic's Dukovany power plant project.

Kim is now expected to wrap up his first extended visit to a region and return to the capital region.

To wrap up, Kim started off in Seoul then went southward, stopping by Daejeon and ending up in Daegu on the first day.

For day two, he started in Daegu, then went to Ulsan, and ended in Busan all major metropolitan cities and did his tours around Gyeongsangnam-do Province.

This region is typically known as a conservative stronghold.

For reference, throughout the Gyeongsang-do region, there are 65 congressional districts and during last year's general election, only six parliamentary seats were won by the liberal party.

That said, a lot has happened since the general election, and Kim could be trying to solidify his supporter base first, then head to other regions.

Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.