Daejeon Mayor Heo Taejeong: "Putting Citizens' Lives First and Reflecting Them in City Administration"

Determined to Streamline Non-Essential Projects to Overcome Fiscal Crisis

Mayor Heo Taejung of Daejeon (Photo by Seokbong Mo)

Heo Taejeong, mayor of Daejeon, stated, "I will listen to the voices of citizens first, put citizens' lives at the forefront, and use their will as the compass for city administration." He added, "Together with all citizens, I will boldly write the era of Daejeon, a city that opens the future with science and flourishes with public welfare."

On the morning of July 1, at 10 a.m., Mayor Heo held his inauguration ceremony in the lobby on the second floor of City Hall. He said, "We are facing a grave fiscal crisis, as declining tax revenues and the financial burden of large-scale projects overlap. We will implement strategic fiscal innovation by decisively streamlining unnecessary projects."

The inauguration was attended by about 800 people from various sectors, including heads of major institutions and organizations, media representatives, civic group leaders, and citizens, who gathered to celebrate the launch of the new city administration.

The event began with a pre-ceremony performance, followed by the national pledge, an introduction of the mayor's career, a reading of a congratulatory message from the president, the screening of a video presenting the vision for the 9th popularly elected city government, and finally, the inaugural address.

The inauguration oath and address were delivered to the mayor directly by 'Raibo,' a quadruped walking robot developed by the Daejeon-based company Lion Robotics, symbolically showcasing Daejeon's leadership as a science city at the forefront of the future robotics industry.

Mayor Heo urged public officials to move away from administration focused on conventions and appearances, and instead pursue effective administration that citizens can truly feel. He also called for the creation of a public service culture where innovative challenges are fairly recognized and proven through concrete achievements.

He presented six key tasks for the 9th term of city administration: ▲Restoring public welfare ▲Establishing a future growth strategy based on artificial intelligence ▲Creating a special city for youth ▲Realizing a leading carbon-neutral city ▲Building a comprehensive welfare system ▲Developing a city where people enjoy, play, and stay.

In the area of public welfare, the plan is to develop Ontong Daejeon beyond a local currency into a regional economic platform linked with welfare and administrative services, thereby revitalizing neighborhood businesses and the local economy.

In growth, the city will establish data centers and an integrated AI data platform, and combine artificial intelligence with Daejeon's key industries such as bio, semiconductors, sensors, defense, and drones to secure future growth engines.

Heo also outlined plans to expand support for youth employment and housing, implement citizen-participatory carbon-neutral policies, and establish the Daejeon model of integrated care. In addition, by strengthening infrastructure for culture, arts, and sports centered on citizens' daily lives, and successfully hosting the 2027 Summer World University Games, the aim is to make Daejeon an attractive city where people want to enjoy, stay, and participate.

After the inauguration ceremony, a commemorative zelkova tree was planted at the south gate plaza of City Hall, followed by a meeting with senior officials and the signing of documents for the transfer of duties. Afterwards, Mayor Heo had lunch with the disaster response department and young public officials.

The inauguration ceremony was broadcast live through Daejeon City's social media channels.

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