[New Year's Address] Mayor Bang Se-hwan: "The First Year of Building a Self-Sufficient City of 500,000... Opening the Era of Railways Centered on Gwangju Station"

All-Out Efforts for Local Economic Recovery and Rail-Centered Transportation System
Leap Toward a "Sports Hub"... Hosting the 72nd Gyeonggi Province Sports Festival
Opening of the "2030 Railway Era" with Approval of the Pangyo-Opo Rail Network
Completion of Welfare Administration Town in February... Realizing Comprehensive One-Stop Welfare

Bang Se-hwan, Mayor of Gwangju City in Gyeonggi Province, unveiled a blueprint for the completion of a "self-sufficient city of 500,000 residents, the most livable in the Seoul metropolitan area," to mark the arrival of the Year of the Fire Horse (Byeongo) in 2026.

Bang Se-hwan, Mayor of Gwangju City. Provided by Gwangju City, Gyeonggi Province

In his New Year's address, Mayor Bang shared the remarkable achievements of the 8th popularly elected administration and set forth five key policy directions: ▲revitalizing the local economy ▲successfully hosting the Gyeonggi Province Sports Festival ▲establishing a rail-centered transportation network ▲strengthening a comprehensive welfare network ▲and promoting sustainable urban development.

This year, Gwangju City's top priority is to enhance the city's brand through sports. The city aspires to turn the "72nd Gyeonggi Province Sports Festival," which it secured after fierce competition with Suwon Special City (population 1.2 million), into a festival for all 14 million residents of Gyeonggi Province. All events, except shooting, will be held within the city, and state-of-the-art facilities such as the "Gwangju City G-Stadium" with a certified 50-meter swimming pool will showcase its role as a sports hub.

Mayor Bang emphasized, "We will go beyond simply hosting a sporting event and elevate it to a cultural and economic festival that practices carbon neutrality and ESG values, thereby boosting citizens' pride."

The city is also accelerating the establishment of a rail-centered public transportation system to resolve chronic traffic congestion.

With the approval of the "Pangyo-Opo Urban Rail Network Plan" in December of last year, accessibility to Seoul and other major cities is expected to improve dramatically. By 2028, all regular buses will be replaced with eco-friendly low-floor buses to guarantee mobility rights for transportation-vulnerable groups.

In particular, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's request for a feasibility study on the "Jamsil-Cheongju Central Region Metropolitan Express Railway" has proven Gwangju City's position as a key axis in the metropolitan rail network. The city will focus its administrative resources on five rail projects, including the Suseo-Gwangju double-track railway, and aims to complete major arterial roads such as the Seongnam-Gwangju Route 338 in the first half of the year, thereby completing the "Spider Web-line" transportation network.

In the welfare sector, the "Gwangju City Welfare Administration Town," scheduled for completion in February, will serve as the control tower.

This facility will provide one-stop welfare services for all generations, including people with disabilities, women, multicultural families, children, and seniors. Through the nation's first "Child Growth Support Project" and expanded support for maternal and newborn health care, the city will further establish itself as a child-friendly city. In addition, the veterans' honor allowance will be raised to 180,000 won per month to strengthen support for national merit recipients.

Mayor Bang stated, "Despite overlapping regulatory challenges, Gwangju City has demonstrated its ability to resolve long-standing issues, such as leading the development of Namhansanseong, Toechon, and Namjong Sports Towns, which have been desired for 30 years. This year, we will steadily push forward with the 58.8 billion won 'Integrated Bio Gasification Facility' project and accelerate the creation of a green industry ecosystem utilizing forest resources, such as the Carbon-Neutral Wood Education Center and Neoreungol Natural Recreation Forest."

Mayor Bang added, "Together with over 1,600 public officials, we will embrace the lives of 420,000 citizens with the vibrant energy of the Red Horse. We will meticulously care for the needs of citizens on the ground, ensuring that everyone can feel the changes taking place in Gwangju."

In this year's New Year's address, Mayor Bang placed particular emphasis on the "strength of the citizens." He made it clear that the driving force behind overcoming unprecedented flood damage and successfully hosting major events such as the Vietnamese President's state visit and the World Wind Conference was the citizens themselves.

Mayor Bang concluded, "The true strength of Gwangju lies in its citizens. Even in difficult economic times, we will spare no policy support so that small business owners and companies can rise again."