Kim Sung-je, the People Power Party's mayor-elect of Uiwang, expressed his commitment to running the 9th popularly elected city administration after his victory in the 9th nationwide local elections was confirmed on the 3rd, saying, "I sincerely thank the citizens for choosing Uiwang's uninterrupted development and a greater future."
Kim's distinctive background draws attention. After serving as Uiwang mayor for the 5th and 6th popularly elected terms as a Democratic Party member, he took a hiatus before switching his party affiliation to the People Power Party and returning to city hall during the 8th popularly elected term. By pledging to complete major urban development projects such as Baekun Valley development and smart city policies, he succeeded in winning over voters and now leaves behind the distinctive record of four total terms in office.
In his acceptance remarks distributed around 2 a.m. on the 4th, Kim said, "Today's result is not a victory for Kim Sung-je personally, but a victory for all citizens who chose Uiwang's future," adding, "I will surely prove through results that the trust and choice the citizens have given me were not mistaken."
Referring to the various voices he heard from citizens during the campaign, he said, "I have taken deeply to heart the demands to create a city good for raising children, to expand transportation and railway networks, to advance redevelopment and urban development, and to build a city where young people can stay and dream of their future."
He emphasized, "This election was an important choice that went beyond simple victory or defeat, determining what kind of future Uiwang would move toward. The citizens chose proven execution capability, achievements, and the power to complete Uiwang's future."
Kim presented the completion of a self-sufficient city and balanced development as the direction for his administration going forward. "I will create the most livable city in the country, an economic city where businesses and jobs are alive and breathing," he said. "Centered on the Wirye-Gwacheon Line extension to Uiwang, I will build Uiwang as an integrated city where regions are connected with one another."
He also said, "I will ensure that the Bugok area, the Gocheon-Ojeon area, and the Naeson-Cheonggye area each grow harmoniously by leveraging their distinct characteristics, and I will pursue balanced development that does not lean toward any single region."
Regarding urban development projects, he expressed his determination to push forward without setbacks on large-scale development projects including the Ojeon-Wanggok public housing district, the Wolam-Chopyeong district, the Cheonggye 2 district, and the Uiwang-Gunpo-Ansan public housing district, following Baekun Valley and the Jangan district. He also pledged to push redevelopment and reconstruction projects with momentum to enhance citizens' quality of life and the city's competitiveness.
In addition, he emphasized that he would foster Uiwang as a leading self-sufficient city where industry, jobs, and the future coexist through integrated development of the Uiwang Station area and the ICD site, attraction of advanced industries, and the establishment of a multi-modal transit system. He also promised to achieve transportation innovation through the construction of major railway networks including the Indeogwon-Dongtan Line, the Wolgot-Pangyo Line, GTX-C, and the Wirye-Gwacheon Line extension to Uiwang.
"Through the 5th, 6th, and 8th popularly elected terms, I have run tirelessly for change in Uiwang," Kim said. "The 9th popularly elected term is not a new beginning but a process of continuing the development we have been pursuing."
He added, "The election is over, and now is the time for everyone to come together for Uiwang's future, not for conflict and confrontation. I will be a mayor who repays citizens' expectations through action rather than words, and through results rather than promises." He also extended condolences to his rival candidate Jeong Soon-wook, adding, "I will actively consider policies that benefit citizens beyond party and faction."
