[New Year's Address] Mayor Joo Gwangdeok: "2026 Marks the First Year of Realizing a Future-Oriented, Citizen-Centric Self-Sufficient City"

Mayor Joo Gwangdeok Declares a Major Leap Toward the One Million Megacity
Securing Five GTX Lines and Building an AI High-Tech Industry Hub to Complete a Self-Sufficient City
Attracting a Top-Tier General Hospital and Creating K-Landmarks to Drive New Growth Engines
Establishing the Youth Affairs Officer Under the Deputy Mayor... Realizing a Customized "City of Happiness" for Every Stage of Life

On January 2, Joo Gwangdeok, Mayor of Namyangju City, stated, "To mark the arrival of 2026, the Year of Byeongo (丙午年), we will make a full-fledged leap forward as a 'future-oriented self-sufficient city that citizens can truly experience' together with our 740,000 residents."

Joo Gwangdeok, Mayor of Namyangju City. Provided by Namyangju City

In his New Year's address, Mayor Joo said, "For the past three years and six months, we have tirelessly worked to lay the groundwork for transformative changes that will reshape the city," adding, "This year, we will build on the foundation of growth we have established and achieve results 'beyond imagination,' creating changes that citizens can truly feel in their daily lives."

Mayor Joo identified "building a self-sufficient city that citizens can experience" as the first goal of this year's municipal administration.

He stated, "We will drive the future city through transportation innovation and lead new advancements with high-tech industries," and added, "With the official opening of the GTX era, Namyangju will stand firmly at its center."

He continued, "Construction on the GTX-B line, which will enable travel to major districts in Seoul within 30 minutes, began in earnest last year, and with the securing of five GTX lines, the blueprint for a super-regional transportation city is becoming a reality. The basic plan for Line 9 (Gangdong~Hanam~Namyangju) has been approved, and administrative procedures such as selecting the operator are currently underway. We are also making every effort to ensure that the preliminary feasibility study for the Byeollae Line extension, as well as extensions of Lines 3 and 6, are included in the government's plans."

Mayor Joo stated, "Last year, with investment attraction agreements for Kakao's 'AI Digital Hub' and Woori Financial Group's 'Digital Universe,' we signaled the beginning of a major transformation in the industrial ecosystem.

Recently, with the attraction of Shinhan Financial Group's 'AI Infinity Center,' an investment worth 850 billion won, Namyangju is now emerging as a hub city for the convergence of AI, finance, and content industries in the northeastern part of the Seoul metropolitan area," he said. "The transformation of Namyangju's industrial structure is in line with the national agenda of the great transition to AI and the goal of becoming one of the world's top three AI powers."

He also said, "The Wangsuk Urban High-Tech Industrial Complex, the largest in the metropolitan area, is a core project that will become the heart of Namyangju's industrial ecosystem as an advanced industry cluster focused on AI, IT, fabless, and biohealth. By attracting upstream and downstream companies linked to the anchor companies we have already secured, we will create synergy between industries. In March, we will hold a large-scale investment promotion briefing to attract promising domestic and international companies and create quality jobs, thereby accelerating the realization of the 'one million megacity' vision."

The second focus is to secure sustainable new growth engines.

Mayor Joo said, "To fulfill the long-standing wish of citizens to establish a 'future-oriented integrated medical town,' we will concentrate administrative efforts on attracting a top-tier general hospital and, in connection with the public medical center scheduled to begin construction in 2028, build a regionally integrated medical system. We also plan to create 'Jeong Yak-yong Park,' Korea's first compact city built on the railway deck site, and 'WE Dream Park' in Wangsuk 2 District as new K-landmarks for Namyangju, raising the city's brand value to a global level."

Lastly, Mayor Joo emphasized the goal of "a city of happiness for citizens, supporting them throughout their lives."

He stated, "To this end, we will elevate the youth policy organization to the 'Youth Affairs Officer' directly under the Deputy Mayor to strengthen policy expertise. By expanding 'Sangsang Nuriteo,' Namyangju's unique elementary after-school care institution, and creating childcare hub spaces, we will make Namyangju a better place to raise children. As a local government recognized for excellence in senior job creation for three consecutive years, we will further enhance support for seniors to ensure a vibrant retirement."

Mayor Joo concluded, "We will now prove the principle of 'sincerity,' which has guided us to focus solely on our citizens, by delivering tangible results," and emphasized, "At this historic turning point toward the one million megacity, we will achieve a great leap forward together with our citizens."