Morning safety checks at key sites, afternoon farewell ceremony at district office
First and last official acts both centered on safety; outgoing mayor delivers lecture titled 'Every Ending Becomes a New Door'
Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor Lee Pil-hyung concluded his term in office Tuesday, wrapping up his official schedule with morning safety inspections at key sites across the district and a farewell ceremony in the afternoon.
Safety defined Lee's final day in the field. That morning, he visited major sites across the district to review construction safety management, resident safety concerns and flood preparedness ahead of the summer rainy season.
Lee inspected the progress and safety management systems at the Imun-dong underpass construction site and the Wolleung IC construction site. He then visited the planned site of a GTX substation that had drawn safety concerns from nearby residents, confirming the need to address public anxiety over the installation of power infrastructure close to residential areas. He also checked the operational status of flood-control facilities, including stormwater pumping stations, floodgates, retention basins, drainage boxes and waterways.
The inspections bookended his tenure. On his first day in office — July 1, 2022 — Lee visited the district's disaster and safety response headquarters to review flood preparedness. His first official act was a safety inspection, and so was his last.
That symmetry reflects the governing philosophy Lee pursued throughout his four years: placing the protection of residents' lives and daily well-being at the forefront of public administration. Under the slogan "Dongdaemun-gu, Opening Happiness," he led the district with a focus on livability, safety, transparency and the future.
The farewell ceremony was held at 2 p.m. in the multipurpose auditorium on the second floor of the district office. About 600 people attended, including staff from the district office, public health center, community service centers, district council, Dongdaemun-gu Facilities Management Corporation and the Dongdaemun Culture Foundation.
The ceremony opened with a declaration of commencement and the national salute, followed by a video retrospective of the past four years, a farewell address from a staff representative, a lecture by Lee, the presentation of commendation plaques, a bouquet ceremony, a commemorative photo and a send-off.
Rather than deliver a conventional farewell address, Lee chose to give his staff a parting lecture. The topic was "Every Ending Becomes a New Door."
In the lecture, Lee reflected on 71 days — 44 during the election campaign and 27 after — and identified three lessons he had taken away: "perseverance," "Open the Door, Take a Step" and "Magic Link."
"What changes a person is the weight of time," he said. "I came to understand that every ending is another beginning, and that it becomes a new door."
He added that starting Wednesday he would no longer be district mayor but a resident of the district. "I will live as a good resident," he said. "As one member of this community, I will cheer on Dongdaemun-gu's development and be part of it." He also shared plans for a walking journey after leaving office — from Ttangkkeut Village in Haenam to the Tongil Observatory in Goseong — saying he hoped to reconnect with people and places along the way.
Lee extended congratulations to Choe Dong-min, the incoming district mayor. "I offer my sincere congratulations and encouragement to Mayor-elect Choe Dong-min," he said. "I hope Dongdaemun-gu will continue to grow and become a city where residents are even happier."
He also spoke about purple, the district's symbolic color. "Purple is created when red and blue come together," Lee said. "I hope the spirit of harmony and coexistence that all Dongdaemun-gu residents have built together will carry on."
Lee closed with words of gratitude to the staff who had served alongside him throughout the four-year term. "These 1,461 days were possible because of you," he said. "I was truly happy to work together. I sincerely thank each and every one of you."
With Tuesday's ceremony, Lee formally concluded his term as district mayor and said he would remain part of Dongdaemun-gu — this time as an ordinary resident — starting Wednesday.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
