Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae's First Pledge: "A Thorough Fiscal Overhaul With Utmost Resolve"

On July 1, Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae declared in her inaugural address that she would "restore fiscal soundness."

At the inauguration ceremony held at Dasan Hall on the first floor of Gyeonggi Provincial Government's Gwanggyo headquarters in Suwon at 10 a.m. that day, Governor Choo stated, "The 9th popularly elected Gyeonggi Province administration is starting out with more than 7 trillion won in debt. Currently, the budget is insufficient, and projects worth about 300 billion won could not even be reflected in the budget, which is a grave situation." She added, "With the determination to make painful sacrifices, I will conduct a thorough review of the province's fiscal structure."

She continued, "We will use our limited resources more responsibly, ensure that taxpayers' money is spent where it is truly needed, pursue genuine change over superficial results, and prioritize a sustainable future over short-term satisfaction. While maintaining fiscal soundness, we will continue to invest unwaveringly in the lives and futures of our residents."

During her transition committee's activities, Governor Choo had already highlighted the seriousness of Gyeonggi Province's fiscal situation and foreshadowed a sweeping restructuring of expenditures.

Reflecting this commitment, the inauguration ceremony was also kept to a minimum in terms of guests, with invitations sent as digital image files rather than printed paper. Additionally, the event was hosted by a government employee instead of an external announcer.

Governor Choo presented fairness, innovation, and inclusiveness as the three core principles of Gyeonggi Province's administration.

She declared, "Fairness is the unwavering principle upholding the entire administration. We will ensure that illegality, expediency, privilege, and favoritism have no place here."

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae is speaking at the inauguration ceremony on the 1st. Courtesy of Gyeonggi Province

She added, "Innovation is the ability that demonstrates our competence. We will not be confined by institutional frameworks but will instead connect technological progress to administrative innovation, clearly reducing inconveniences in residents' daily lives."

Regarding inclusiveness, she said, "Inclusiveness is not charity-based welfare, but respect for people and the strongest force that sustains a community. We will wipe away the tears of the socially disadvantaged who have been left in the shadows of growth and implement warm-hearted administration to address inequality and disparities."

The town hall meeting that day brought together 50 panelists representing residents, including job-seeking university students, engaged couples, young small business owners, cultural artists, and female office workers, to discuss employment, housing, youth, childcare, transportation, safety, and other areas.

When asked by a university student how the development of the semiconductor industry would be linked to employment, Governor Choo responded, "We will focus all administrative capabilities so that semiconductor factories (fabs) can begin operation as early as possible. This will be my first priority following the inauguration. If three fabs are operational by as early as 2030, about 20,000 workers will be needed, and we will ensure that 13,000 to 14,000 of those jobs go to local residents."

She also pledged to actively introduce artificial intelligence (AI) across administrative operations, improve youth housing, develop support measures for small business owners, support the development of northern Gyeonggi Province, and strengthen the cultural and artistic creative ecosystem.

The inauguration ceremony concluded with a closing performance and congratulatory event following the town hall meeting.

Governor Choo began her official schedule that day by paying tribute at the Memorial Tower before the inauguration ceremony.

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