The heads of basic local governments in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, who took office Wednesday, laid out unusually concrete visions for improving local democracy and driving prosperity amid a rapidly shifting political landscape.
Re-elected leaders such as Chuncheon Mayor Yuk Dong-han and Sokcho Mayor Lee Byeong-seon have continued pursuing their urban transformation agendas since winning their races. Newly elected mayors taking office under a changed political alignment — with the ruling party now holding a majority in the National Assembly — have put forward platforms centered on themes such as "the future," "servant leadership," "reaching neglected communities" and "a working local civil service," signaling a governance style more attuned to residents' everyday concerns.
Lee Jeong-hak, the newly elected mayor of Donghae — a city included in President Lee Jae-myung's MECA project — declared his ambition to "change the future of Donghae."
Lee is the first mayor of Donghae since direct local elections began to come from a progressive or reform-oriented party. After President Lee and prominent business leaders announced plans to build a GS Group-led AI data center in Donghae as part of the "Three Mega Projects for South Korea's Great Leap Forward," Mayor Lee called it "a decisive opportunity to transform the city's future." He said he would work to make Donghae a city welcoming to business — one where companies and citizens build prosperity together.
Rather than hold a formal inauguration ceremony Wednesday, he chose to mark the occasion with a community arts and culture festival alongside residents — evoking the spirit of "yeomindongnak," the idea of sharing joy with the people.
Kim Jung-nam, the new Gangneung mayor, is also the first from a progressive or reform-oriented party to be elected to that post since direct local elections began. He chose to hold his inauguration in Jumunjin, a peripheral neighborhood of Gangneung. The city said the ceremony took place at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Jumunjin Indoor Gymnasium.
"This inauguration breaks from the tradition of holding the ceremony at city hall or in the downtown area," the city said. "It symbolically reflects the ninth-term administration's commitment to leading balanced development across all of Gangneung, including the northern and outlying areas such as Jumunjin."
Wonju Mayor Ku Ja-yeol held his inauguration at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Baekun Art Hall, adjacent to city hall. He centered his remarks on the theme of "Wonju in the era of civic sovereignty."
In keeping with that theme, the city invited long-serving volunteers, community elders and families with multiple children to reflect on the values of community — an expression of the ninth-term administration's commitment to putting citizens at the heart of city governance.
In his inaugural address, Ku outlined his vision and key policy directions, including stabilizing livelihoods, revitalizing the local economy and fostering future industries, all grounded in citizen-centered, on-the-ground administration.
Cheorwon County Chief Kim Dong-il signaled his priorities with his first personnel reshuffle, emphasizing a "working organization." Timed to the launch of the new administration, the reshuffle — covering promotions and transfers — was designed to ensure stable governance and efficient handling of local issues. Six new team leaders were placed directly in operational roles to foster a civil service culture that values practical work over formality. The county said it plans to deliver administrative services that residents can feel in their daily lives.
Hoengseong-gun Chief Jang Sin-sang adopted the slogan "Together, opening Hoengseong's tomorrow — toward 5 million tourists" for his inauguration. The message emphasizes the future while acknowledging that the county's identity as a tourism destination still has room to grow.
Jang also plans to put his philosophy of servant leadership into practice from the start. He arrived at the indoor gymnasium venue at 1:30 p.m., before the ceremony began, to personally greet each resident as they arrived. The inauguration included a special segment called "Listening to Residents' Voices (Tell Us What You Want from County Government)," reflecting his commitment to hearing from constituents and serving them with sincerity.
Yangyang-gun Chief Kim Jeong-jung outlined five governing principles: transparent and fair administration, proactive on-the-ground administration, service-oriented administration, equitable distribution of opportunity, and performance-driven public service that satisfies residents. He also declared that the top priority of his administration is people's livelihoods. To that end, he said he would immediately launch a "Special Measures Plan for Livelihood Stabilization and County Government Innovation" and deploy a "Livelihood Stabilization Field Response Team" to serve small business owners and vulnerable groups who have long fallen through the cracks of public administration. Community service centers at township and village offices will also handle residents' everyday grievances — with the overarching theme of his entire administration captured in a single word: service.
abc@heraldcorp.com
