Lee Jae-jun, who secured re-election as Suwon mayor in the June 3 local elections, said "today's victory is not my personal victory but the victory of all the great citizens of Suwon."
In an acceptance statement released around 11 p.m. Tuesday after his election as the 9th popularly elected Suwon mayor was confirmed, Lee said, "This is a victory for citizens who chose Suwon's uninterrupted development and a citizens' mandate to continue the Suwon Grand Transformation." He added, "I will accept the weight of that trust with gravity and solemnity."
"I thank my fellow party members who ran alongside me, the National Assembly members from the Suwon area who provided strong support, the election campaign headquarters and support group, and everyone who stood by me on the ground," Lee said. "This victory is one we created together."
He also expressed gratitude and respect for his rival candidates. "I offer words of consolation and respect to candidates Ahn Kyo-jae and Jung Hee-yoon, who gave their best until the end," he said. "I will faithfully incorporate the good policies and proposals suggested by both candidates into city administration."
Lee said the voices of citizens he met during the campaign were the driving force behind his victory.
"The words of each citizen — 'life is so difficult,' 'please make Suwon better' — were the strength that brought me here today," he said. "I feel responsibility more strongly than joy."
"What citizens chose was not political slogans but a working mayor, a city administration that produces results, and an administration that proves promises through outcomes," he said. "I will prove through process and results why citizens chose Lee Jae-jun once again."
He identified "people's livelihoods" as the top priority for his second term.
"I will not waste a single day of the next 1,461 days," Lee said. "Starting tomorrow, I will immediately return to city administration to address citizens' inconveniences, reduce living cost burdens, revive alley economies, and create more good jobs."
"The election is now over, and only Suwon's future lies ahead," he said. "Citizens who supported me and citizens who did not are all Suwon citizens, so I will run an inclusive city administration that embraces all citizens and become a mayor for everyone."
Lee defined the next four years as "an important time that will determine Suwon's next 10 to 20 years," adding, "I will do my best to be remembered as a mayor who changed citizens' lives, prepared Suwon's future, and completed the Suwon Grand Transformation."
Lee led the 8th popularly elected Suwon city government with a focus on citizen-tangible administration and strengthening urban competitiveness. In this election, he presented key pledges under the banner of "Completing the Suwon Grand Transformation," including a half-price living cost policy, the creation of a K-global cultural tourism industry hub, and the establishment of a global advanced science research city.
