Seogangseok, Songpa District Mayor: Why Did He Write His 'Mayor Inaugural Speech' Himself for 3 Hours?

Seogangseok, Mayor of Songpa-gu in the 8th Civil Election, Writes 4,459-Character Inaugural Speech Himself, Calling It 'His Own Inaugural Address' Until Dawn

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] “I was elected as the Mayor of Songpa District on June 1st through the dignified exercise of sovereignty by the 670,000 proud residents of Songpa... I sincerely thank the residents of Songpa, the sovereigns, who gave me overwhelming support and encouragement until I was chosen as mayor. Please provide me with much guidance and advice so that I can become a proper mayor.

It is known that Seo Gang-seok, the 8th elected Mayor of Songpa, personally wrote his inauguration speech with great care until nearly 3 a.m.

The fact that Mayor Seo claims this as ‘his own inauguration speech’ means that throughout the election period, he reflected on the various voices he heard from the residents and the promises he made to them, and he strongly intended to clearly and sincerely declare his commitment to fulfilling those promises in front of the residents, the true owners of the district, at the inauguration ceremony.

This can be interpreted as his serious acceptance of the first step as mayor and his strong determination to lead the district administration for the next four years without losing the heart and initial intention he had during the election.

In particular, Mayor Seo clearly states in his inauguration speech, “I am well aware of the spirit of the times demanded by this era and the aspirations of the residents of Songpa. I will think deeply and act rightly to faithfully carry out the orders of the residents,” expressing his usual conviction to serve the residents with humility as an administrator before a politician.

He also emphasizes to Songpa district officials, “I will cherish the taxpayers’ money and maximize public interest for both present and future generations at the optimal cost,” and “As an administrator, I must never arbitrarily allocate or execute the budget, which is the taxpayers’ money.”

He then elaborates on the reason behind the catchphrase “Songpa Running Again! A District Administration of Creativity and Innovation,” ultimately placing the final emphasis in his inauguration speech on “restructuring the district office into a working organization, revitalizing the spirit of public officials, and maximizing residents’ satisfaction through district administration.”

The inauguration speech, spanning six pages in A4 size (13-point font) and 4,459 characters, is organized in the following order: ▲expressing gratitude to the residents who chose him ▲the spirit of the times ▲the philosophy guiding district administration ▲focus of district administration after inauguration ▲diagnosis of Songpa district so far and future direction ▲declaration of commitment to “Songpa Running Again, a District Administration of Creativity and Innovation” ▲presentation of vision for key projects including campaign promises ▲Mayor Seo Gang-seok’s reflections on his journey to this point and gratitude to all.

The reason Mayor Seo was able to sincerely and thoroughly express the heartfelt contents of his speech is seen as supported by his rich administrative experience, and particularly by his background as a poet who debuted by winning the ‘3rd Korea Arts Writers Award’ through ‘Open Poetry,’ and as a novelist of the full-length novel ‘Gangsu Walked.’