Choo Miae Takes Office as 37th Gyeonggi Province Governor, Opening New Era of Civilian-Elected 9th Term

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gapdong] The 37th Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Miae took her first steps for the civilian-elected 9th term of Gyeonggi Province on the 1st, pledging "I will establish trust through fairness, open the future through innovation, and move forward together with inclusion." This marks the birth of the first female provincial-level autonomous government leader in constitutional history.

Newly appointed Governor Choo Miae held her inauguration ceremony at 10 a.m. on the 1st at Dasan Hall of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, beginning her term with an oath of office pledging the responsibilities and mission of the governor.

■ 'First Steps with the People'...Presenting Three Promises of Fairness, Innovation, and Inclusion

Through her inaugural address, Governor Choo stated "Gyeonggi Province is the present and future of the Republic of Korea, and therefore change in Gyeonggi Province is change in the Republic of Korea," and added "Taking the voices of the people as the starting point of provincial administration, I will transform the possibilities of Gyeonggi Province into greater opportunities by transcending the boundaries between regions and generations, industries and daily life."

She then presented "fairness," "innovation," and "inclusion" as the three promises that the civilian-elected 9th term of Gyeonggi Province administration will uphold.

To create the first promise of a "fair Gyeonggi Province," Governor Choo emphasized that the entire provincial administration process will be made more transparent and all decisions will be made with greater responsibility. She stressed creating a Gyeonggi Province where illegitimate gains obtained through privilege are corrected and citizens living with sincerity do not feel a sense of loss.

For the second promise of an "innovative Gyeonggi Province," she stated that unnecessary administrative regulations and bureaucratic procedures will be boldly reformed to save time wasted in residents' daily lives, and technological advancement will be connected to administrative innovation to reduce inconvenience in citizens' lives.

For the third promise of an "inclusive Gyeonggi Province" where not a single person is left behind, she pledged to create a Gyeonggi Province where everyone—from children to the elderly, from youth to people with disabilities, from rural to urban areas, and from the north to the south—grows together, to wipe away the tears of socially disadvantaged groups, and to pursue compassionate administration that heals inequality and disparities.

■ "We Will Stabilize Finances and Protect Future Investment"...Stern Start with Over 7 Trillion Won in Debt

Governor Choo stated "The civilian-elected 9th term of Gyeonggi Province begins with debt exceeding 7 trillion won. As of July 2026, we face a grave situation where approximately 300 billion won worth of projects cannot even be reflected in the budget due to insufficient funds, so I will conduct a comprehensive review of the fiscal structure with the resolve of cutting to the bone," and emphasized "While maintaining fiscal soundness, I will steadfastly continue investment for the lives and future of the people."

She added "I will prove the people's choice through tangible changes in their lives. I will do my utmost with all my sense of responsibility and drive of action to ensure that Gyeonggi Province's leap forward leads to a great leap forward for the Republic of Korea."

■ 'Daecheong Maru' Town Hall Meeting..."The Voices of 14.2 Million Residents Become Policy"

The second part of the inauguration ceremony proceeded as a town hall meeting called 'Daecheong Maru,' where various opinions from residents could be heard and dialogue fostered. With the intention that the start of the civilian-elected 9th term of Gyeonggi Province administration should originate from the voices of the people, 'Daecheong Maru' carries the meaning of 'listening intently and examining from the bottom to the top (maru).' Participating in this venue were 50 resident representative panelists including job-preparing university students, newlywed couples, young entrepreneurs, cultural and art workers, working women, and children from Gyeonggi Province's opportunity reporter corps.

Governor Choo listened to opinions from resident representatives and explained the direction of the civilian-elected 9th term provincial administration.

■ From Semiconductors and Jobs to Youth Housing...Answering Questions from the Field

Responding first to a question from a job-preparing university student asking "What new jobs and growth opportunities will you create for young people?", Governor Choo stated "'When semiconductors are booming, what benefits are there for me?'—that is precisely what we must discover as policy and connect, which is Gyeonggi Province's responsibility," and added "I will concentrate administrative efforts on creating infrastructure so semiconductor companies can advance their fab operations. Only when that happens can youth jobs be created. By 2030, approximately three fabs may be completed, and statistically, each fab requires about 7,000 personnel. With an abundance of talented individuals in Gyeonggi Province, I will prepare administrative and financial conditions to provide 13,000 to 14,000 jobs to these people."

To a prospective bride who asked about stable housing policies for newlyweds, she answered "I want to pursue housing supply policies that can incorporate residential designs that young people desire. In Gyeonggi Province, rather than 'endure' in extremely narrow, cramped spaces, I aim to shift direction to spaces where 'dream'—and I plan to have approximately 10,000 housing units started during my tenure."

■ AI Administrative Innovation, Convenient G Bus, Northern Transformation...Tangible Changes Residents Can Feel

A startup entrepreneur asked "You declared that Gyeonggi Province will become an AI leadership model—what roadmap do you have in mind?" Governor Choo responded "By early 2028 at the latest, I will implement an internal support system to achieve an administrative innovation system," and added "I will also compile and systematize data to create an AI administrative innovation leadership model where the public and private sectors grow together with startup companies, while discovering fields that residents can tangibly experience."

When a university student asked about a transportation blueprint to reduce time and costs for Gyeonggi residents, Governor Choo stated "For life to become more comfortable, transportation must first be addressed—I will work to quickly resolve the broad-area transportation system between local governments, and will rapidly implement independent Gyeonggi Convenient G Bus routes within Gyeonggi Province sections," emphasizing "I will expand bus routes so that lines proposed by residents are reflected first."

Regarding regulatory improvement in northern Gyeonggi and border regions, she stated "I want to undertake a great transformation where new industries such as renewable energy and climate technology create jobs in northern Gyeonggi so that northern Gyeonggi leads the way," and stressed "To solve the issue of civilian access to the DMZ, I will work with the Ministry of Unification, Ministry of Defense, and the National Assembly to make it a peace, economy, and culture special zone—so that this area becomes not a land of regulation but a land of opportunity and culture."

To a small business owner asking about ways for small and medium enterprises and local economies to regain vitality together, she also introduced policies supporting AI-based service enhancement in traditional markets, implementation of offline smart systems for small business owners, and market development support for online stores.

■ Frugal and Closer...Choosing Communication with Residents Over Formality

The inauguration ceremony was held as a frugal yet direct communication-focused event in consideration of the province's fiscal situation. Invitations were minimized to approximately 400 people including National Assembly members, provincial assembly members, organization and group leaders, and residents related to campaign pledges. The invitation method was replaced with mobile invitations in image file format rather than printed paper, and even the ceremony conductor was a provincial government employee rather than an outside figure, thereby reducing costs.

Prior to the inauguration ceremony, Governor Choo paid respects at the Monument to War Dead in Ingye-dong, Suwon at 8:30 a.m. on the 1st and signed the certificates of assuming and relinquishing office.