Early Withdrawal Declaration and Caring for People's Livelihood Until the End -
Wishing for Even Greater Achievements in the 8th Local Government Term Despite Being Forgotten
[Gokseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Cha Jong-sun] “The past eight years have been miraculous times for me, and you all have been the miraculous people who shared those miraculous times with me.”
Yoo Geun-gi, the Gokseong County Governor who served two consecutive terms during the 6th and 7th local administrations, expressed his final thoughts at his farewell ceremony on June 30.
Governor Yoo had announced his decision not to run for re-election early in February.
Since then, he has focused his efforts on overseeing county administration until the end of his term, concentrating on the lives of residents rather than the election campaign.
The farewell ceremony was held simply according to Governor Yoo’s request.
About 150 people, including Governor Yoo’s family, staff, and hometown associations, attended the ceremony held inside the government office.
Notably, Sohn Hak-kyu, former leader of the Bareunmirae Party and known to be close to Governor Yoo, also attended the ceremony to share congratulations.
Governor Yoo and the attendees reflected on the major achievements of the county administration and watched a video summarizing the activities of the past eight years.
The event concluded with Governor Yoo’s farewell speech and a commemorative photo session.
In his farewell speech, Governor Yoo expressed that it does not feel real that he has to leave and conveyed his gratitude to the staff who worked with him over the eight years.
He especially recalled the following as miraculous moments: ▲ clearing the snow-covered playground with staff to successfully hold the National Assembly Speaker’s Cup Youth Soccer Tournament ▲ turning concerns caused by the movie “Gokseong,” which was based on his own editorial, into an opportunity to raise the value of the local brand ▲ overcoming the 2020 heavy rain damage in the Seomjin River area through collective effort ▲ and the local community coming together to create the Future Education Foundation, a role model for rural education.
He did not forget to offer words of encouragement for the newly launched 8th local administration.
Governor Yoo cheered on Lee Sang-cheol, the elected governor of the 8th local administration, and public officials, hoping that they will achieve even greater results so that memories of him gradually fade away.
He emphasized the role of public officials, noting that they must serve for 30 to 40 years, which is a longer period than elected officials like himself.
He did not specify his plans after retirement. He only mentioned that he wants to return to the village and nature that raised him and quietly stroll through the scenery of sunrises and sunsets with his family and relatives. However, he hinted at keeping various possibilities open for the future, saying that even if the path ahead is unclear, he wants to explore it because not knowing is part of life’s meaning, and even if he returns, he believes he will eventually reach his destination.
Gokseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Cha Jong-sun cha6960@asiae.co.kr
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