Shin Dong-hwa Takes Office as Guri Mayor, "Citizens Are the Mayor"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Um In-yong] Shin Dong-hwa, Mayor of Guri, held his inauguration ceremony as the 18th mayor of Guri for the 9th mayoral term on July 1st at the Guri City Gymnasium, marking the start of a new four-year administration.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by approximately 1,000 people including Guri City Council members Yang Gyeong-ae, Jang Hyang-suk, Lee Gyeong-hee, Kim Seong-tae, Lee Jeong-hee, Kim Yeon, Yeon Joo-hyun, and Moon Eun-young, as well as dignitaries, Guri City officials, and citizens, who together celebrated the launch of the 9th mayoral term.

In his inaugural address, Mayor Shin Dong-hwa said, "The trust you have placed in me is not glory but a solemn promise that I must fulfill," and pledged to "pursue city administration that seeks answers in the field rather than the mayor's office, and in the alleyways rather than at the desk."

Additionally, Mayor Shin drew attention by announcing that he would continue the motto from the 8th mayoral term, "Pleasant Change, a Happier Guri City."

This is interpreted as a commitment to securing continuity in city administration while preventing unnecessary expenditure of administrative resources and budgetary waste, while simultaneously pursuing "politics of integration" that prioritizes harmony over conflict.

He further pledged that despite difficult fiscal conditions, he would pursue welfare and safety—areas directly connected to citizens' lives—without retreat, while thoroughly correcting internal inefficiency and waste in administration to operate finances more efficiently.

Mayor Shin designated livelihood recovery and regional economic activation as core agendas for the 9th mayoral term.

To this end, he will pursue major pending issues without disruption, including △relocation of Gyeonggi Housing & Urban Development Corporation (GH) headquarters △development of the Han River waterfront in Topyeong-dong △GTX-B line stoppage at Galmae Station △extension of Subway Line 6, while emphasizing, "I will work with citizens to build a city where raising children is pleasant, a city where young people pursue their dreams, a city where the elderly enjoy a comfortable retirement, and a city where culture and education thrive."

He further promised fair personnel decisions and transparent administration free from favoritism or retaliation, stating, "The owner of Guri City is not the mayor but the citizens," and declaring, "I will become a mayor who owes nothing to anyone and is accountable only to the citizens."

Mayor Shin Dong-hwa said, "The future of the new Guri is not created by the mayor alone but is completed when the dreams and efforts of each citizen, and mutual trust among them, come together," and proclaimed, "I will become a mayor who does not lead ahead of citizens but always walks with them."