"When boundaries crumble and hearts meet, Jemulpo finally becomes the future."
Namgung Hyung, the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate for Jemulpo District Mayor in Incheon, officially declared his candidacy at a press conference held at Incheon Dong-gu Office at 10:30 a.m. on May 9. As the only youth mayoral candidate in Incheon, Namgung pledged to create a "true Jemulpo integration model" that goes beyond the merger of Jung-gu and Dong-gu districts.
At the press conference, Namgung presented his core vision of a "true integrated Jemulpo era" where people, spaces, and systems operate as one, transcending the mere physical consolidation of Dong-gu and Jung-gu. Notably, as the sole young district mayor candidate running in Incheon, he has garnered support from young politicians and youth candidates across the region.
"This election is not simply about generational change, but about accelerating transformation in the old downtown through capable young leadership," Namgung said. "When the central government led by President Lee Jae-myung, Incheon Metropolitan City under Park Chan-dae, and Jemulpo District under my responsibility move together, innovation in the old downtown becomes reality."
In his candidacy declaration, Namgung described himself as "the switch of a warm village that lights the flame of caring policies in every alley across 18 neighborhoods." He unveiled his flagship pledge of life-oriented administrative innovation policies, including establishing "Our Neighborhood Resident Service Centers" and introducing the "Jemulpo Civil Service Bus" for mobile administrative services, aimed at eliminating administrative gaps that may arise during the district consolidation process.
"Administration should not be a place where people wait, but a service that reaches out first," he said. "I will reduce administrative gaps to zero and raise resident satisfaction to the highest level."
Namgung also presented spatial innovation strategies. He pledged to transform aging industrial spaces in the old downtown into an "Industry-Academia Convergence Techno Belt" combining youth entrepreneurship with future industries, and to convert abandoned houses and idle spaces into "Art Residencies" serving as workspaces for local creators and young artists. He also outlined plans to develop Jemulpo's historical assets, including Hwasu Pier and the Open Port area, into cultural industry hubs that generate local income rather than mere tourist attractions.
Highlighting his experience as a member of the Presidential Committee for Balanced National Development, Namgung said he would actively leverage his cooperative network with the central government. Mentioning initiatives such as KTX stops at Incheon Station, connection to the Second Airport Railroad, and promotion of Incheon Circular Line 3 and tram systems, he emphasized, "Budgets are not begged for—they are created."
He also pledged to establish the "Warm Village Integrated Support Center," where residents participate from policy proposals to budget execution, to build a "Jemulpo-style village democracy model."
"The Lee Jae-myung central government, the Park Chan-dae Incheon government, and the Namgung Hyung Jemulpo government will deliver the fastest transformation for Jemulpo with young leadership and strong execution," Namgung said. "I will definitely open a new Jemulpo era where 100,000 residents are happy."
Following this candidacy declaration, Namgung plans to continue "Into the Field" grassroots visits to expand his direct engagement with residents.