New Year's Address Hwaseong Special City Mayor Jung Myung-geun

Esteemed 1.06 million citizens of Hwaseong Special City, and beloved 3,000 public servants.

I am Jung Myung-geun, Mayor of Hwaseong Special City—a city of exceptional citizens and radiant promise.

A hopeful new dawn has broken.

I sincerely pray that health and happiness fill every household of our citizens.

The sunrise illuminating the early morning of New Year's Day may appear unchanged each year, but the Hwaseong bathed in that light is decidedly! not the same as yesterday.

Today, we stand at a historic turning point: following the launch of our special city status, the full-scale beginning of "a four-district administrative system."

In 2026!

Each of our choices and actions will become a vital milestone that shapes Hwaseong's tomorrow.

This year's guiding phrase is 'Jeong Chul Ji Il (正出之日)'—the moment when the sun rises on the horizon.

Like the powerful energy of that rising sun, Hwaseong Special City will leap forward brightly and vigorously toward 'a renewed Hwaseong.'

Dear citizens of Hwaseong Special City!

With new changes ahead, citizens' expectations have grown even higher.

You are asking not about plans and numbers, but about how city governance transforms your daily lives.

Hwaseong has written the history of Korea's most dynamic growth with numerous titles as the nation's first and number one in various sectors.

This is the result of turning waves of change into opportunity and choosing new paths.

As a microcosm of the Republic of Korea, Hwaseong has always faced difficult challenges and consistently advanced toward 'the next Hwaseong.'

I confidently say that in this challenging journey, we have had the trust and affection of 1.06 million citizens and, above all, the dedicated efforts of our public servants, and I express my deepest gratitude.

Building on the experience and capacity we have accumulated, we will not rest on achieved innovations but, together with citizens, create a new history unique to Hwaseong.

According to the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), the keywords for the global economy in 2026 are 'buffered slowdown and an asymmetrical era.'

Though economic contraction has eased through concerted efforts, 'tariff wars sparked by Trump' remain a significant burden, and the success or failure of cities will depend on economic conditions and response capabilities.

The direction of Hwaseong in 2026 is clear.

A city opening possibilities through the limitless power of citizens; a city leading the future through sustainable growth! This is the essence of 'a renewed Hwaseong.'

In February, four new district offices will be launched: Mansei-gu, Hyohaeng-gu, Byeongjeom-gu, and Dongtan-gu.

This is a transition to a living-area-centered administrative system befitting a major city.

The standard for administration is citizens' 'direct experience.'

Administration that resolves issues more swiftly and nearby will become routine.

'All answers to problems lie in the field,' as the saying goes.

Each district office will carefully examine regional characteristics and living conditions, engage in direct communication with citizens, and respond more precisely to everyday needs through field-oriented administration.

Last year's scene at APEC where 'Jensen Huang,' leading the global AI industry, and CEOs of Samsung and Hyundai—representing the Republic of Korea—gathered together left significant implications.

What this encounter symbolizes is not mere exchange, but the fact that AI has become a core asset that determines the future of nations, corporations, and cities beyond the realm of technology alone.

Keeping pace with this change, Hwaseong is pioneering a city where AI becomes realized in daily life.

In particular, Hwaseong, which hosts the research and production foundations of Samsung Electronics, and Hyundai and Kia—Korea's core industries—is the optimal city to apply AI and accumulate data.

The autonomous driving living lab in the Songsan and Namyang areas will serve as the launching point toward a global mobility demonstration city, and Hwaseong's 28 million pyeong of opportunity land will become a core hub for national strategic industries where AI, mobility, renewable energy, and future agriculture converge, driving new momentum for Hwaseong.

Furthermore, based on a 200 billion won startup investment fund, we will create a foundation for promising ventures and startups in semiconductors, mobility, AI, and biotech to grow into unicorn companies, positioning Hwaseong as Korea's representative K-AI city alongside America's Silicon Valley and China's Shenzhen.

The 26,689 manufacturing companies are Hwaseong's roots.

We will actively support the digital and data transformation of local enterprises so that field competitiveness can be reinforced through data and technology.

Additionally, through operating AI Innovation Schools, we will enable all citizens to understand and utilize AI, and through talent cultivation frameworks such as the Gifted Education Institute, we will develop the capabilities of Hwaseong's next generation to lead the future.

From now on, we must prepare Hwaseong's next phase as we move beyond a population of 1.54 million toward the 2 million era.

As a city's scale and growth advance further, establishing corresponding life foundations is no longer a choice but a basic requirement.

Hwaseong is already creating quality jobs through 22.59 trillion won in investment attraction and will grow into a city where young people stay and dream of tomorrow.

This will provide a new answer to the low birthrate crisis.

Recovery of the livelihood economy is equally important.

By expanding local currency issuance by 1 trillion won, we will relieve the burden on small merchants and self-employed workers and create a virtuous cycle where consumption continues within the region.

Transportation is not merely a means of movement; it is an artery that expands opportunities connecting people to cities and cities to cities.

With 83.36 billion won in national funding secured, four railroad construction projects including the Dongtan-Indeogwon Line have gained full momentum, and new line plans including the Gyeonggi Southern Metropolitan Railroad will further expand citizens' living areas.

Accelerating the internal circulation road network in Hwaseong and expanding transportation infrastructure will reduce commute times and make daily life more comfortable.

Meanwhile, the coming aging society, increased single-person households, and resulting social isolation and living instability are challenges the entire city must address together.

To this end, Hwaseong will become a city that reaches out first when help is needed.

We will connect suicide prevention hotlines, financial and welfare counseling, and emergency welfare to ensure no warning signs are missed,

and will ensure necessary support reaches citizens at the right time.

Furthermore, we will carefully attend to life's essentials—basic income, housing, care, education, and transportation—and ensure integrated care across the lifespan for children, seniors, and people with disabilities.

Citizens' lives and safety are the highest priority preceding all policies.

We will strengthen disaster prevention with greater precision, field response with greater speed, and build more comprehensive safety nets.

A city becomes truly sustainable when people discover it, stay, and return again.

Hwaseong International Theme Park, the Golden Coastal Road, and Eco Farm Land will be reborn as new spaces of vitality where workplaces, leisure, and daily life blend harmoniously.

Additionally, culture and leisure are important elements that elevate a city's stature and quality of life.

Hwaseong Arts Center, Hwaseong Dongtan Central Library, and the Botanical Garden will become valuable assets that bring culture and nature closer to daily life and add inspiration to ordinary days.

Together with this, through establishing a branch of the National Palace Museum, we will deepen our identity as a historical and cultural city embodying King Jeongjo's spirit of filial piety.

Respected citizens of Hwaseong Special City,

Hwaseong has always been a dynamic city.

This dynamism is not by chance but stems from Hwaseong's unique way of immediately responding to citizens' voices and proving it through action.

The future of Hwaseong is determined by you, our citizens.

So that the pride of 1.06 million citizens becomes even more special, I will prepare Hwaseong's tomorrow one step ahead of citizens' expectations.

A city that discovers urban futures in each citizen's voice and proves it through transformed lives—'a renewed Hwaseong'! We will steadfastly complete this with 1.06 million! 1.54 million! 2 million citizens of Hwaseong Special City.

I sincerely pray that this year becomes a time when citizens' lives shine brightly.

May you have a prosperous New Year.

Thank you.