Lee Jeong-hak, the Democratic Party of Korea mayor-elect of Donghae, sent a text letter filled with dreams, hope and passion to residents of the city Thursday, shortly after receiving his certificate of election.
"Dear residents of Donghae, whom I respect and love — thank you from the bottom of my heart," the letter began. "This victory is not mine alone. It belongs to every great citizen of Donghae who longed for a better, renewed city."
Lee opened by pledging never to forget the heartfelt wishes of residents who had urged him to transform Donghae.
"Whether you supported me or not, every one of Donghae's 86,000 residents is precious to me," he said. "I will be the mayor not of any particular party, but of all 86,000 citizens of Donghae. I will open a path of unity and harmony beyond division and conflict. I will listen to the people first and build a new Donghae together with their strength."
He doubled down on campaign promises to hit the ground running, revive the local economy, build a city where emergency medical care is guaranteed within 30 minutes, and make Donghae a city of hope where young people want to return.
He closed the letter with a vow to work alongside residents to realize the vision of a citizen-led Donghae and a global maritime city.
Donghae has had a troubled political history, with a string of early elected mayors facing criminal prosecution — a nightmare that persisted until recently. Though the city holds potential as a key international port and tourism hub on the eastern edge of Northeast Asia, its development has been largely limited to the tourism sector, with little progress on the economic front and a persistent lack of the creativity and execution needed to draw meaningful support from the central government and provincial administration.
Lee's election as a progressive candidate is expected to bring fresh hope to residents.
In a media interview after his victory was confirmed, Lee said there is no "you" or "me" when it comes to building a new Donghae. "There's no need to divide people into progressives and conservatives," he said. "There were plenty of clashes between candidates during the heated campaign, but now let's move forward — not through division but through unity, not through conflict but through harmony."
He also recalled meeting elderly residents, self-employed business owners, office workers and young people in the alleyways of Mangsang-dong, Mukho-dong, Balhan-dong, Dongho-dong, Bugok-dong, Cheongok-dong, Buksam-dong, Songjeong-dong, Bukpyeong-dong and Samhwa-dong throughout the campaign, all of them pleading with him to change Donghae. The text letter is seen as his response to those pleas — a commitment that he will deliver.
Meanwhile, Gangwon Province Governor-elect Woo Sang-ho visited Donghae multiple times during the campaign, telling residents that he and Lee share a long and close friendship and that collaboration between the two would be essential for the city's future.
The elections are expected to raise the profile of Donghae and the broader southeastern Gangwon Province region — a potential hub on the Arctic shipping route in the Northeast Asian era — which has long felt overlooked by the central government and the provincial administration.
abc@heraldcorp.com
