[New Year's Address] Mayor Shin Sangjin: "With the Spirit of Jeongboncheongwon, We Will Complete the 'Global Smart City'"

Provisional Seizure of 517.3 Billion Won in Daejang-dong Illicit Gains Marks Achievement in 'Fair Administration'
Seongnam Achieves 'Zero Debt' Status... Accelerates 'Just Growth'
Full-Scale Launch of Baekhyeon MICE and All-Out Efforts for Line 8 Pangyo Extension
Seongnam Under Shin Sangjin to Gallop Like the 'Red Horse' in 2026
Breaking the Chain of Corruption and Sowing Innovation... Leaping Toward a 'Global Future City'

Shin Sangjin, Mayor of Seongnam, has declared that in 2026, the Year of the Red Horse (Byeongo Year), Seongnam City will rise as a 'global smart city' leading innovation not only in Korea but worldwide.

Sangjin Shin, Mayor of Seongnam. Provided by Seongnam City

In his New Year's address, Mayor Shin stated, "As we enter the final year of the 8th popularly elected administration, I once again engrave in my heart the original intention of 'Jeongboncheongwon,' which means to set the fundamentals right and purify the source." He added, "The past three and a half years have been an intense journey to restore broken fairness and to sow the seeds of innovation for the future."

In this New Year's address, Mayor Shin cited 'fairness' as the city's top priority.

In particular, regarding the Daejang-dong development corruption case, he emphasized his strong commitment to justice, stating, "Despite the difficult situation of the prosecution withdrawing its appeal, we did not give up and applied for a provisional seizure of assets worth 567.3 billion won to recover the illicit gains of the Daejang-dong group, successfully obtaining court approval."

These efforts have led to tangible results. In the 2025 Comprehensive Integrity Assessment by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, Seongnam City achieved a grade 2 rating, two levels higher than the grade 4 received in 2022, demonstrating transparent administration. In addition, the city completed early repayment of 112 billion won in local government bonds, three years ahead of schedule, achieving 'zero debt' status and establishing a sound fiscal foundation.

Mayor Shin promised to nurture new 'growth' in place of past corruption.

At the center of this is the Baekhyeon MICE urban development project, which will officially begin in January with approval of the implementation plan. Mayor Shin asserted, "Unlike the Daejang-dong model, where the public sector only took fixed profits, Baekhyeon MICE will recoup additional profits for Seongnam City and return the benefits to all citizens, pursuing 'just development.'"

Furthermore, the city plans to leap forward as a world-class, AI-driven future industrial city through projects such as the creation of the Fourth Technovalley in the Ori Station area, construction of the Wirye POSCO Global Center, and the introduction of an autonomous shuttle service in the city center in February. In particular, the city aims to secure a global hub for talent development by establishing the KAIST Seongnam AI Education and Research Facility.

He also presented specific livelihood policies to improve the quality of life for citizens.

The city will focus all its resources on passing the preliminary feasibility study for the extension of Subway Line 8 to Pangyo, and will work closely with neighboring municipalities to ensure the inclusion of the Southern Gyeonggi Metropolitan Railway in the national rail network plan. Mayor Shin also pledged to do his utmost for the Wirye-Samdong Line metropolitan railway project connecting the old downtown and Seongnam High-Tech Valley, as well as the establishment of new stations at Dochon, Yatap, and an additional station in Pangyo-dong on the Wolgot-Pangyo Line.

In addition, the city will accelerate balanced development by confirming 12,000 units for reconstruction in the Bundang leading district and supporting redevelopment in the old downtown area.

Welfare policies closely linked to citizens' daily lives will also be further strengthened.

This year, with the launch of the Seongnam Welfare Foundation, the city will implement tailored support throughout the life cycle, including 200,000 won in entrance preparation funds for elementary school students, expansion of 13 'Sun and Moon Playgrounds,' and a longevity congratulatory payment of 500,000 won for citizens reaching 100 years of age.

In the fields of culture and sports, the city plans to steadily complete the construction of resident convenience facilities, starting with the groundbreaking of the baseball-only stadium in the second half of the year, as well as the Daewang Reservoir waterfront park and the public library in the Daejang district.

Mayor Shin emphasized, "The development of Seongnam is directly linked to the competitiveness of Korea," and added, "Like the legendary red horse, we will run tirelessly to ensure that Seongnam's technology becomes the global standard, and we will complete the transformation of Seongnam into a global smart city."