Press Conference Held to Mark 100 Days in Office
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] “The greatest achievement in the first 100 days after taking office is creating a structure for jointly considering city administration by broadening the scope of communication.”
Hong Taeyong, mayor of Gimhae City, Gyeongnam, who proudly called himself the “Burning Communication King” since his candidacy, chose “communication” as the representative word reflecting on his first 100 days in office.
Mayor Hong said, “The processes of meeting citizens in various daily life settings and putting our heads together to solve problems are expected to become a solid foundation for new city administration.”
He continued, “I asked myself how much we have approached the dreams and happiness standards of the citizens during these 100 days,” and promised, “I will not lose my initial resolve and will operate city administration based on communication and integration so that this advisory can continue for four years.”
Regarding the recent controversy over the damage to the Gusan-dong dolmen raised by the Cultural Heritage Administration, he said, “I will keep in mind that setting the right direction, even if it takes a little longer, based on the importance of process and procedure, is city administration that aligns with the sensibilities of the times.”
On this day, Mayor Hong emphasized the budget plan for next year, saying, “I will focus on selecting priorities through choice and concentration.”
He plans to prioritize mandatory expenditures such as matching funds for national and provincial projects and the Gyeongjeon Line MCC, while giving priority to pledged projects and ongoing completion projects.
At the same time, he plans to pursue a two-track strategy to strengthen financial management flexibility by adjusting the expenditure structure.
Mayor Hong presented the direction for next year’s city administration as ▲Dream and Happiness ▲Choice and Concentration ▲Communication and Integration.
He said, “I will reinterpret all policies from the perspective of citizens’ dreams and happiness and ensure they are connected accordingly,” adding, “Considering the limited available resources, I will clearly establish the identity of urban policies.”
He also stressed, “To wisely solve the complex issues of Gimhae, active communication among various policy stakeholders must be a prerequisite,” and emphasized, “I will devote all efforts to building communication and collaboration platforms so that the city can be viewed from a three-dimensional, citizen-centered perspective beyond segmented thinking at the individual department level.”
Mayor Hong described 2023 as “an important year when the 8th elected administration will face a full-fledged test.”
Accordingly, he promised ▲Attracting a Northeast Asia logistics platform to secure future urban growth engines ▲Industrial restructuring including biomedical, future automobiles, and advanced sensors ▲Strengthening support for socially vulnerable groups ▲Expanding discovery of cultural tourism resources ▲Strengthening the city brand as a reading city ▲Expanding customized welfare such as resolving oversized and overcrowded classes and establishing a second special school.
He also mentioned establishing a public medical center, installing shared spaces for youth and childcare Station-G and Station-L, establishing a major accident prevention system, expanding metropolitan transportation networks, creating smart farms, and spreading carbon-neutral city initiatives overall.
Mayor Hong said, “I will do my best to produce tangible results that citizens can feel so that the foundation laid in the first 100 days will not be in vain,” and added, “I ask all citizens to become a reliable guide so that city administration can proceed in the right direction.”
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