Mayor Baek Kyung-hyun of Guri: "I will create a 'joyful change, a happier Guri City'"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Eom In-yong] Mayor Baek Kyung-hyun of Guri announced on the 2nd, "I will fulfill all roles in creating a 'joyful change, a happier Guri City.'"

Mayor Baek held a "3rd anniversary press conference of the 8th civilian-elected term" at the grand hall of Guri City's Women's Happiness Center this morning, presenting achievements in city administration and vision and policy direction for the next year.

Mayor Baek Kyung-hyun looked back on his 1,097-day journey since taking office, saying, "These three years were spent recalling my promises to citizens," and "The time spent with 190,000 citizens has been the greatest driving force for Guri City's development and citizen happiness."

8th civilian-elected term promise fulfillment rate of 71.1%, receiving the highest grade 'SA' for two consecutive years

Mayor Baek presented the achievements over three years of the 8th civilian-elected term: △101 projects completed out of 142 commitments in 10 major sectors (promise fulfillment rate of 71.1%) △Receiving the highest 'SA' grade for two consecutive years in the "evaluation of commitment implementation and information disclosure by municipal and county heads nationwide" △10 consecutive years as an outstanding institution in Gyeonggi Province's comprehensive evaluation of cities and counties △Selected as an excellent local government for six consecutive years in the regional welfare project evaluation conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Major achievements and administrative issues according to six policy directions

Laying the foundation for a self-sufficient city

Guri City presented the development of Gurit Pyeong 2 Public Housing District as a key project to complete its 100-year vision for a future city, demonstrating its determination to create a specialized city with self-sufficient functions.

This project aims to create a mixed-use city for residential-workplace integration that includes public housing, new growth industrial complexes, and cultural and business complex spaces. Mayor Baek explained that the city is also promoting master plan consulting and design studies based on a smart green city concept together with Guri Urban Corporation.

Additionally, the city is promoting the creation of the "Guri E-commerce New Growth High-tech City," which includes Guri Techno Valley based on K-content, games, biotechnology, and IoT in the Sanodong area. To achieve this, the city aims to embark on the project by following administrative procedures such as preliminary feasibility studies, lifting development restrictions, and logistics complex planning.

Building people-centered metropolitan transportation infrastructure

Establishing metropolitan transportation infrastructure was also presented as a priority task. Mayor Baek stated that he is making an all-out effort to expand railway transportation facilities, including △GTX-B line stop at Galmaeri Station △extension of Subway Line 6 △extension of the Light Rail Line to Myeongmok △newly building a tram line, and is also pursuing △underground bypass road construction under the Gangbyeonbuk-ro road △new Galmaeri IC construction △expansion of Taereung-Guri IC metropolitan highway, and △securing parking infrastructure.

In the long term, the city is expanding railway transportation. In the medium and short term, it is creating a safe and convenient people-centered transportation environment by implementing public management of city buses, providing subsidies for low-floor bus purchases and operations, and operating mobility support vehicles for the transportation disadvantaged.

An economically prosperous city where small business owners regain vitality

The city is focusing on systematic nurturing and management stability of small business owners, who account for 90% of the city's economic population. It has established a regional economic vitalization promotion plan worth 9.3 billion won to support traditional markets and alleyway commercial areas, and has granted legal status to alleyway commercial areas in five locations including Namyang Market to establish practical protection foundations. Mayor Baek added that the city is also making efforts in customized job training and startup support programs for different groups.

An inclusive welfare city brimming with the warmth of life

The city is creating an environment where it is easy to raise children by strengthening safety nets for vulnerable and socially disadvantaged groups, fostering a social atmosphere where national merit awardees and the elderly are respected, and implementing measures to address the low birth rate.

In particular, having received certification as an age-friendly city from the World Health Organization, Mayor Baek stated that the city is doing its best for the comfortable retirement of elderly residents aged 65 and older through △free vaccination against herpes zoster, △public transportation fee support, △hairdressing and beauty service fee support for residents aged 75 and older, and △birthday celebration allowances. He also explained that the city is providing the highest level of respect to national merit awardees in Gyeonggi Province by △increasing merit awardee honorary allowances and benefits for spouses of military operation participants, and △newly establishing allowances for Korean War veterans. Additionally, by promoting happy housing supply and expanding public and night-time childcare centers, the city is creating an inclusive welfare city brimming with the warmth of life.

A healthy and happy city with culture

Stating that "culture is the driving force of regions and enriches life," Mayor Baek said the city has built a system to enhance individual competitiveness of citizens by opening lifelong learning centers in Galmaeri-dong and Sutaek-dong to fulfill citizens' lifelong learning needs. The city is improving the quality of life for citizens through △creating a universal barrier-free integrated playground for children's unrestricted play, △opening the Bang Jeong-hwan Library, which carries on the educational philosophy of educator Bang Jeong-hwan, and △opening the Galmaeri Multi-Sports Center and Geombaeri Sports and Culture Center where any citizen can comfortably exercise.

Creating a clean and stable sustainable eco-friendly city

Mayor Baek also announced policies for creating an eco-friendly city. The Inchang Stream Ecological River Restoration Project is being pursued with a target construction start in September, and the nearby Suri-dan-gil is being redesigned as a specialized street to create a city where nature and local commercial areas coexist. Through systematic environmental education via the Resource Circulation Education Center, the city is nurturing resource circulation interpreters and spreading citizen-participatory resource circulation culture.

Mayor Baek stated, "I will ensure visible progress on 21 major projects, including △GTX-B line stop at Galmaeri Station, △creation of an E-commerce new growth high-tech city, and △extension of Subway Line 6 to Guri City, which are difficult to complete within my tenure," and added, "For the remaining one year, with the determination of 'Geumseok-wi-gae' (persistence conquers all), I will overcome any difficulties with strong will and fulfill all roles in creating a 'joyful change, a happier Guri City.'"