Mayor Chae In-seok of Hwaseong: "Achieved Remarkable Growth 18 Years After City Status"

"Because we focused on what truly needed to be done rather than immediate visible results, numerous firsts that no other city could achieve were accomplished in Hwaseong."

Hwaseong Mayor Chae In-seok made this statement through his commemoration speech at the 18th Hwaseong Citizens' Day ceremony held at the City Hall auditorium on the 21st.

Mayor Chae also introduced various achievements including ranking first nationally in local government competitiveness, having five consecutive years of Hwaseong Creativity and Wisdom Education schools selected among the nation's top 100 exemplary educational programs, constructing Hwaseong Dream Park, Asia's largest youth baseball facility, and the Farmer Monthly Wage System that spread nationwide. He noted that these accomplishments were made possible through citizens' patience and effort.

Mayor Chae further stated, "Going forward, we will continue to consider what policies will truly bring happiness to Hwaseong citizens and work together with the people to transform Hwaseong's future."

At the ceremony, commendations were awarded to 64 individuals including exemplary citizens, organizations, and civil servants, expressing gratitude to those who worked for regional development and jointly celebrating the city's remarkable growth.

At the time of its elevation to city status in 2001, Hwaseong had only 2 eups, 12 myeons, 1 dong, and a population of approximately 215,000. In 18 years, it has grown into a major city with a population exceeding 710,000, an increase of more than threefold.

Furthermore, the city's annual budget has increased approximately twelvefold from 190 billion won at that time to 2.2745 trillion won.