Jin skips inauguration ceremony, dives straight into work at staff morning assembly
Jin Kyo-hoon, the newly inaugurated district mayor of Seoul's Gangseo-gu, launched the ninth elected-term administration Tuesday without a formal inauguration ceremony, going straight to work through a staff morning assembly.
At the gathering, Jin said the will of residents is "like the deep sea" and pledged to "devote myself solely to serving the people of this district with an even more humble attitude."
He said building the foundations for future development through expanded infrastructure — covering transportation, safety, welfare and education — is important, but added that swiftly identifying and resolving the small everyday inconveniences residents face is just as critical as large-scale projects.
Jin also urged staff to listen carefully in the field to what residents want and what difficulties they are experiencing, so that every individual voice can be reflected in district policy.
Jin outlined three priority tasks for the ninth elected term: pragmatic administration, inter-departmental collaboration, and communication with residents.
Placing pragmatic administration at the top of the list, he said the district must streamline its reporting structure and foster an organizational culture that allows staff to work efficiently. He added that sharpening focus on core duties would allow key projects to move forward with greater speed.
He also said inter-departmental collaboration and a more rigorous policy-development process are essential to strengthening the district's ability to execute its programs.
"Among ongoing projects, those with low results or limited effectiveness need to be boldly adjusted," Jin said. "Through careful review, unnecessary projects should be halted and worthwhile ones expanded."
He added that communication and coordination between departments are indispensable when advancing projects and resolving residents' complaints.
Closing his remarks, Jin said it is the residents — as the true principals of governance — who determine the goals and direction of district administration. He called on staff to join forces in building Gangseo's future with residents always at the center of everything the district does.
Gangseo-gu will retain the vision of the eighth elected term — "A Future We Build Together, a Gangseo We Share" — reflecting the district's commitment to policy continuity while focusing on delivering tangible results that residents can feel.
The ninth elected term's six governing goals are: a balanced-growth city where everyone thrives, an innovation-driven economy city that transforms the future, a safe and convenient transportation city for everyday life, a welfare and health city where all are happy, a culture and education city of elevated quality, and a resident-sovereignty city that shines through participation.
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