"We will open an era of great transformation for Dobong. And it starts from the residents."
That was the message Kim Dong-wook delivered at the inauguration ceremony for the ninth elected term of Dobong-gu's district government on Wednesday.
Before an audience of about 1,000 residents and guests, Kim declared a new governing philosophy he called "resident sovereignty" — placing residents at the center of policy from the outset.
Kim also unveiled a vision for what he called the "Great Dobong Transformation," laying out five strategic pillars that include future transportation, residential innovation and resident-driven administrative reform. He said the overarching goal of the ninth term is to bring tangible change to residents' daily lives.
His actions before the ceremony underscored that commitment. On his first day in office, Kim signed the "Great Dobong Transformation Resident Proposal Project" as his first official act — a program designed to let residents directly propose policies and shape the district's vision and direction.
The district collected policy ideas from residents from June 23 to July 6 to lay the groundwork for the initiative.
The inauguration was deliberately delayed by one week to Wednesday to allow sufficient time to incorporate residents' input and give the ceremony fuller meaning.
At the ceremony, a resident representative handed Kim a compiled book of resident proposals. Kim accepted it publicly and pledged to develop the suggestions into actual policy.
The submitted proposals will be refined into "100 Tasks for the Great Dobong Transformation" and pursued systematically through a series of town hall meetings by sector and a 100-day implementation report.
"The changes residents want can no longer be put off," Kim said. "We will boldly reform outdated practices and lead Dobong's new leap forward with policies that prepare for the future."
The ceremony drew about 1,000 attendees, including National Assembly members, Seoul city and district council members, heads of major local institutions, civic group representatives and residents. The event proceeded in three parts — a pre-show performance, the main program and a closing — with the main program featuring a video presentation of the ninth-term vision, a policy address by the district mayor and the formal handover of the resident proposal book.
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