Mayor Oh Se-hoon Holds 'Open Inauguration Ceremony' with 1,500 Citizens: "Delivering Tangible Results"

Inauguration Ceremony Marks the Start of the 9th Seoul Administration
Event Halls Set Up Throughout City Hall to Engage with Citizens
"We Will Move Forward with Citizens' Happiness as Our Only Goal"

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is greeting citizens attending the '40th Seoul Mayor Inauguration Ceremony' held at Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul on July 1, 2026. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

The inauguration ceremony for Oh Sehoon, elected as the 40th Mayor of Seoul, was held as an open event with citizens at Seoul City Hall on the morning of July 1. Mayor Oh pledged, "I will work with the mindset that achievements unrecognized by citizens are not true achievements."

The inauguration, held under the slogan "Four Years for Citizens, Completing a Greater Seoul," invited citizens and key city administration partners to Seoul City Hall, sharing the vision of the 9th popularly elected administration and outlining the city's direction for the next four years.

Mayor Oh visited various event halls set up throughout City Hall, greeting citizens and expressing his gratitude for their congratulations and support. The City Hall was bustling with over 1,500 citizens from all sectors, including politics, society, and culture. Some citizens chanted "Oh Sehoon," while others took selfies with the mayor to celebrate his reelection. For those unable to attend in person, the ceremony was broadcast live through online channels such as Live Seoul and YouTube.

During the main event, Mayor Oh reaffirmed his responsibility and mission as Mayor of Seoul through the oath of office and emphasized his commitment in his inaugural address to creating real change in areas closely tied to citizens' lives, such as housing, jobs, welfare, and transportation. He promised, "We will accelerate housing supply, aiming to break ground on 310,000 units by 2031," and added, "With the belief that housing stability is life stability, I will do everything to ease citizens' concerns about their homes."

He also stated his intention to reduce the housing burden for young people and to help them develop artificial intelligence (AI) skills to support employment and startups. Additionally, he reiterated his pledge to improve quality of life through transportation innovation and to fulfill the promise of the "10-minute subway station in front of every home era" by completing seven urban rail lines.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is greeting citizens attending the "40th Seoul Metropolitan Mayor Inauguration Ceremony" held on July 1, 2026, at Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Citizens who gained new opportunities through Seoul City policies took the stage as well. Participants included a citizen who entered university through the "Seoul Learn" educational welfare service and a young person who found a job as a developer after graduating from the Seoul Youth Job Academy, each sharing their experiences. There was also a segment where Mayor Oh received a "Wish Box" containing wish cards written by attendees, sharing the future hopes for Seoul together and responding to them personally.

Mayor Oh reiterated, "For the 9th popularly elected Seoul administration, achievements unrecognized by citizens are not true achievements; everything will be evaluated solely based on the quality of citizens' lives," and stressed, "The next four years must not only be a leap forward for Seoul but also a time when citizens' lives are fundamentally transformed."

He further stated, "Changing citizens' lives is the reason for administration's existence and the true report card for city governance. With this in mind, I will make citizens the standard for every decision and move forward with the sole goal of their happiness, ensuring that Seoul becomes the city of special quality of life."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.