Gwangju Mayor Park Kwan-yeol: "Realizing 'Direct Gwangju' that Communicates Directly with Citizens"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Eom In-yong] Gwangju City held the inaugural ceremony for Mayor Park Kwan-yeol of the ninth elected term at the Namhansanseong Hall of the Gwangju Culture and Arts Center on the 1st, with government officials, dignitaries, and citizens in attendance.

The inauguration ceremony was held to announce the launch of an era of citizen sovereignty where citizens become the main actors and to share the direction of city administration and future vision for the ninth elected term with citizens.

The event proceeded with a reading of congratulatory letters from the president and the Minister of the Interior and Safety, a screening of key campaign vision videos, congratulatory remarks from government officials and family representatives, and a pansori performance.

Mayor Park proclaimed through his inaugural address the ninth elected term city administration slogan 'My Life That Communicates Directly, Direct Gwangju' and expressed his determination to pursue citizen-centered administration.

He said, "I will create a city where administration does not come before citizens, but rather one where administration seeks out citizens' lives first," and "I will become a direct-line mayor who connects directly with citizens, not a mayor who only receives reports."

He then mentioned his childhood and emphasized his commitment to realizing tailored welfare by life cycle.

He added, "After graduating from elementary school, I made a living doing farm work, running a bakery, tailoring, and collecting waste paper," and stressed, "Welfare is not simply financial support but a matter of preserving human dignity. Rather than welfare that requires application, I will implement welfare services that proactively reach citizens based on their life cycle through a welfare navigation system."

On this day, Mayor Park presented five major city administration goals for the ninth elected term: △innovative administration created together with citizens and establishment of a basic welfare city, △a citizen happiness city where learning and care become everyday life, △a future economic city where artificial intelligence, energy, and cultural tourism converge, △an innovative transportation city based on smart technology, and △creation of a smart autonomous city with 30,000 artificial intelligence-enabled units centered around railway stations.

Regarding the water supply for the semiconductor national industrial complex in Yongin, a recent local issue, he said, "Cooperation for national strategic industries is necessary, but Gwangju's sacrifice should not be taken for granted," and pledged, "I will actively propose to the government and pursue the designation of special support areas for semiconductor and artificial intelligence cooperation, attraction of advanced industrial and research and development functions, and expansion of metropolitan transportation networks and educational infrastructure for Gwangju's future."

Finally, Mayor Park said, "I will be a mayor preparing for the next generation, not preparing for the next election," and pledged, "I will create a new future for Gwangju together with citizens."