Preliminary Candidate Choi Hyundeok: “I Will Cut Namyangju Utility Costs by 30% Within Three Years”

Preliminary Mayoral Candidate Choi Hyundeok Announces Pledge for Namyangju
Opening the Door to Livelihood Innovation in Namyangju Through "Utility Cost Transparency"
Keeping Pace with President Lee Jaemyung's Livelihood-Focused Initiatives

Choi Hyundeok, a preliminary candidate for mayor of Namyangju, announced a practical pledge, the “Sseulmo Series 2: Utility Cost Reduction Project,” to ease household financial burdens ahead of the June 2026 local elections. This pledge is in line with the government’s recent emphasis on strengthening transparency in utility costs for multi-unit buildings and sets out concrete implementation measures at the Namyangju city level.

Choi Hyundeok, a candidate for mayor of Namyangju, announced "Sseulmo Series 2: Maintenance Cost Reduction Project," a practical pledge to ease household financial burdens ahead of the June 2026 local elections. Provided by Choi Hyundeok, the candidate.

Recently, President Lee Jaemyung pointed out the problems of excessive billing and poor management of utility costs for multi-unit buildings during a Cabinet meeting and called for stronger transparency in such costs. Preliminary candidate Choi stated, “Utility costs are not a political issue, but a matter of citizens’ living expenses,” and pledged to prepare implementation measures at the level of local government.

The core of this project is to eliminate inefficiencies in the structure of utility costs and to expand public-sector support. First, the city plans to establish a support system for the management of multi-family housing, present standard unit prices for key service contracts such as security, cleaning, and disinfection, and introduce joint purchasing and integrated contracting methods to induce cost reductions. He also stated that the city would expand the disclosure of utility cost details for each complex to strengthen transparency, and enhance residents’ oversight functions through external accounting support.

For aging multi-family housing, the plan also includes expanding city budget support for energy efficiency improvement projects for common facilities such as shared piping and lighting, provided that the level of deterioration and resident consent requirements are met. The explanation is that this will lead to structural reductions in utility costs.

Preliminary candidate Choi emphasized, “I will implement the utility cost transparency tasks presented by the central government as practical policies in Namyangju,” adding, “We will pursue this in stages with the goal of reducing average utility costs by 20% to 30% within three years.”

Preliminary candidate Choi further stated, “As President Lee Jaemyung has emphasized that the dedication of public officials leads to the comfort of the people, I will work together with the public officials of Namyangju City to carry out hands-on, field-oriented administration.” He added, “We will be the first in Namyangju to fully implement the utility cost transparency tasks pointed out by the President and achieve livelihood-focused innovation that citizens can truly feel.”

Meanwhile, preliminary candidate Choi entered public service by passing the 36th Higher Civil Service Examination. He served as a secretary at the Policy Planning Committee under the Roh Moo-hyun administration and worked at the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France, before holding key positions in central government ministries, including Director of the Organizational Planning Division at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Secretary to the Minister. He then served as Chief Economic Officer of Gyeonggi Province and as the 16th Vice Mayor of Namyangju, gaining experience in both central and local administration and earning a reputation as a “practical administrative expert.” After retiring from public office, he served as secretary of the Safety and Administration Subcommittee of the Transition Committee for Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jaemyung and as a member of the Gyeonggi Province Fair Economy Committee. He is currently serving as a special advisor to the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea and as a standing member of the Chamjoeun Local Government Committee, acting as a bridge for communication between the party and citizens.