Incheon mayor-elect says he will confront fiscal problems and transit delays 'hidden or downplayed' under previous administration

Incheon Mayor-elect Park Chan-dae delivers remarks at the dissolution ceremony of the ninth civilian-elected administration's transition committee at G-Tower on Tuesday. [Park Chan-dae transition committee]
Incheon Mayor-elect Park Chan-dae delivers remarks at the dissolution ceremony of the ninth civilian-elected administration's transition committee at G-Tower on Tuesday. [Park Chan-dae transition committee]

Incheon Mayor-elect Park Chan-dae pledged to govern based on the recommendations of the ninth civilian-elected administration's transition committee at the body's dissolution ceremony Tuesday.

Speaking at the ceremony held at G-Tower on Tuesday, Park thanked transition committee members, advisory members and seconded public officials for their contributions. "I will not let the policy directions and action items the committee has prepared go to waste — I will make them a reality," he said.

Park said he was grateful for the committee's efforts in bridging the realities of city governance with the direction of the ninth civilian-elected administration in a short period of time. "I will carry out the recommendations step by step, so that citizens can say the ninth civilian-elected administration's transition committee did its job well," he added.

He particularly signaled his determination to address the fiscal problems and key issues identified during the transition process.

"We have also uncovered realities that were hidden or downplayed under the eighth civilian-elected administration — the immediate shortfall in this year's budget, the debt that will accumulate going forward, concerns over delays to the extension of Seoul Metro Line 7 to Cheongna, and the risk that the Incheon Line 1 extension could fall through," Park said.

"Rather than turning away from the tangled conflicts, the committee has included them in its recommendations. I will face these uncomfortable truths and find solutions," he added.

Earlier, the ninth civilian-elected administration's transition committee submitted recommendations covering organizational restructuring, fiscal reform and a medium-to-long-term development strategy for Incheon. The proposals included drawing up comprehensive plans for industry, AI, energy and older urban districts; introducing a named-accountability system for official directives; and conducting a fiscal review of the Incheon e-eum project.

"The transition committee dissolves today, but the journey toward 'overwhelming growth and happy change' will continue," Park said. "I will build a ninth civilian-elected administration that listens to citizens with greater humility, thinks more intensely, and acts with strength."

Meanwhile, the transition committee concluded its official activities with Tuesday's dissolution ceremony. Its recommendations are set to serve as the key policy framework for the ninth civilian-elected Incheon city administration, which launches in July.


gilbert@heraldcorp.com