▲ 김혁종 전 비서실장 국회의원 예비후보 등록=선거사무소 제공  © 김정환 기자

박수현 의원의 충남지사 출마로 보궐선거가 실시되는 공주·부여·청양 선거구에 김혁종 전 충남도지사 비서실장이 도전장을 내고 본격 선거전에 돌입했다.

김 전 비서실장은 30일 공주시선거관리위원회에 예비후보 등록을 마치고 공주·부여·청양 국회의원 보궐선거를 향한 본격적인 행보에 나섰다고 밝혔다.

윤석열 전 대통령 비서실장을 지낸 정진석 전 의원이 보궐선거 출마 의사를 밝힌 가운데, 김 전 실장은 이날 국민의힘 중앙당에 공천 신청을 완료한 뒤 “공주·부여·청양은 내 정치 여정의 시작이자 결실을 볼 곳”이라며 “지역의 변화와 성장을 이끄는 새로운 동력이 되겠다”고 출마 포부를 밝혔다.

그는 민선 8기 출범과 함께 김태흠 충남도지사의 초대 비서실장을 맡아 약 3년 8개월간 도정의 핵심 브레인으로 활약해 왔다. 특히 충남도의 ‘국비 12조 시대’ 개막과 대규모 기업 투자 유치 등 경제 지형을 바꾼 도정 성과를 직접 지원하며 쌓은 정무적 경험을 지역 발전에 쏟아붓겠다는 계획이다.

김 전 실장은 “이제는 바뀌어야 할 때”라며 “김태흠 지사와 호흡하며 검증받은 추진력을 바탕으로 공주·부여·청양의 희망찬 미래를 앞당기겠다”고 거듭 강조했다.

공주 출신인 김혁종 전 실장은 공주고와 공주대를 졸업하고 고려대 행정대학원에서 정책학을 공부했다. 공주대 총학생회장을 시작으로 국회의원 보좌관, 정당 사무처장 등을 거치며 현장 중심의 정치 감각을 익혀왔다.

박수현 의원의 사퇴로 인해 6·3 지방선거와 동시에 치러지는 이번 보궐선거에서 김 전 실장이 예비후보로 공식 등록함에 따라, 지역 정가의 선거 열기는 한층 고조될 것으로 보인다.

*아래는 위 기사를 '구글 번역'으로 번역한 영문 기사의 [전문]입니다. '구글번역'은 이해도를 높이기를 위해 노력하고 있습니다. 영문 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 전제로 합니다.<*The following is [the full text] of the English article translated by 'Google Translate'. 'Google Translate' is working hard to improve understanding. It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation.>

Kim Hyuk-jong, Former Chief of Staff to the South Chungcheong Governor, Registers as Preliminary Candidate and Launches Campaign for National Assembly By-election…

Possessing political acumen as a close confidant of Governor Kim Tae-heum, he joins the political landscape of the June 3 by-election in earnest.

Kim Hyuk-jong, former Chief of Staff to the South Chungcheong Governor, has thrown his hat into the ring for the Gongju-Buyeo-Cheongyang constituency by-election, which is being held following Representative Park Soo-hyun's bid for the governorship, and has officially entered the election campaign.

Former Chief of Staff Kim announced on the 30th that he had completed his preliminary candidate registration with the Gongju City Election Commission and has begun his full-scale campaign for the Gongju-Buyeo-Cheongyang National Assembly by-election. With former lawmaker Chung Jin-suk, who served as Chief of Staff to former President Yoon Suk-yeol, expressing his intention to run in the by-election, former Chief of Staff Kim completed his application for nomination with the People Power Party's central headquarters on the same day. He declared his ambition to run, stating, "Gongju, Buyeo, and Cheongyang are the beginning of my political journey and the place where I will see its fruits," and added, "I will become a new driving force leading the region's change and growth."

Since the launch of the 8th popular election, he served as the first Chief of Staff to South Chungcheong Province Governor Kim Tae-heum, playing a key role as a core strategist for the provincial administration for approximately three years and eight months. In particular, he plans to pour the political experience he gained while directly supporting the provincial administration's achievements—such as opening the "era of 12 trillion won in state funding" for South Chungcheong Province and attracting large-scale corporate investment—into regional development.

Former Chief of Staff Kim reiterated, "Now is the time for change," and emphasized, "Based on the drive I have proven while working closely with Governor Kim Tae-heum, I will accelerate a hopeful future for Gongju, Buyeo, and Cheongyang."

Kim Hyuk-jong, a native of Gongju, graduated from Gongju High School and Gongju University and studied policy at the Graduate School of Public Administration at Korea University. Starting as the student body president of Gongju University, he has honed his field-oriented political sense through various roles, including a parliamentary aide and a party secretary-general.

With former Chief of Staff Kim officially registering as a preliminary candidate for the by-election—which will be held concurrently with the June 3 local elections following the resignation of Assemblyman Park Soo-hyun—election fever in local politics is expected to intensify.