Gunpo Mayor Han Dae-hee took office as the city's 17th mayor Tuesday, launching the ninth popularly elected term of the municipal administration. Han presented "innovation, change, and citizen sovereignty" as the core values of his new administration, pledging to create change that citizens can feel through redevelopment and reconstruction, new industry development, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based administrative innovation.
Gunpo held the inauguration ceremony for its 17th mayor in the city hall's main conference room, attended by about 700 people including citizens, heads of related institutions, and leaders of social organizations. The event featured a string trio, a popera performance, and a video containing support messages from citizens, celebrating the new start of the ninth popularly elected term.
In his inaugural address, Han said, "I am deeply grateful to be able to stand here again through the choice of you, the citizens." He added, "With a heavy sense of responsibility and mission, I will surely create rapid and clear change that citizens can feel."
He presented innovation, change, and citizen sovereignty as the direction for the ninth popularly elected term. First, he outlined a vision to raise the city's future value through swift redevelopment and reconstruction and the creation of new industry complex districts in aging industrial areas, and to build a vibrant economic city through corporate support and revitalization of the people's livelihoods economy.
In the welfare sector, he emphasized that he would build a customized welfare safety net tailored to each life stage, from children to the elderly, to realize a basic living city that takes responsibility for both the future of young people and the daily lives of citizens.
Administrative innovation was also presented as a major task. Han said he would improve budget efficiency and expand smart administration using AI to create "Gunpo, the No. 1 city of citizen sovereignty," where citizens' taxes lead to improved quality of life.
He also called for active administration from the public sector. "Fear the citizens and work with courage for the citizens," he said, adding that he would take the lead in protecting public officials who work actively, and would boldly improve passive administration and complacency to create an organizational culture where performance and responsibility coexist.
"The main characters of today are you, the citizens, and the owners of the ninth popularly elected term are also the citizens," Han said. "By making citizens' voices the starting point of municipal administration, I will create change that citizens lead and citizens can feel, realizing 'Gunpo, a city of citizen sovereignty.'"
