Mayor Lee Pledges to Overcome Fiscal Challenges, Betting on AI Cluster and K-Hangang for 'Work-Life-Leisure City' Transformation

Lee Hyunjae Unveils Vision for a “Work-Life-Leisure City” at First Citizens Weekly Meeting
Accelerating “Era of 5 Rail Lines” and Balanced Regional Development
Securing Future Growth Engines Through AI Innovation Cluster and Camp Colburn Development

Lee Hyunjae, mayor of Hanam City, held the first Citizens Participation Weekly Meeting since the launch of the 9th elected administration, expressing a strong commitment to directly tackle the city’s vulnerable fiscal structure. His plan is to expand tax revenue through large-scale development projects and the attraction of high-quality companies, ultimately completing a “Work-Life-Leisure City” equipped with transportation, cultural, and medical infrastructure.

Lee Hyun Jae, Mayor of Hanam City, is holding the "1st Citizens Participation Weekly Meeting of the 9th Term of Direct Election" on the 28th at the main conference room of the city hall. Provided by Hanam City

On July 28, Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province hosted the “1st Citizens Participation Weekly Meeting of the 9th Elected Term” at the main conference room of City Hall. This meeting, organized for the first time since the start of the 9th term, was designed to share the city’s policy direction and major issues with residents and to gather their feedback. The meeting was broadcast live through Hanam City’s official YouTube channel, allowing simultaneous participation both online and offline.

During the event, Mayor Lee personally explained the achievements of the 8th term as well as the core policies to be pursued over the next four years. He said, “Hanam has achieved significant milestones such as ranking first in the National Comprehensive Customer Service Evaluation for four consecutive years, becoming the first city to win the Presidential Award for two consecutive years, and being selected among the top 10 most livable cities in Korea for three years in a row.” However, he also diagnosed the situation by stating, “While the city’s appearance has grown, the economic base remains fragile.”

In fact, Hanam’s economic indicators lag behind those of major metropolitan cities. As of 2023, the city’s per capita Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) stood at about 28 million KRW, ranking 24th in Gyeonggi Province—just one-sixth of Gangnam-gu’s approximately 180 million KRW. In 2025, the city’s expected local corporate income tax is projected to be 33 billion KRW, about one-ninth of that of Icheon City.

In addition, Hanam City faces significant fiscal burdens: the litigation to recover the cost (99.2 billion KRW) for LH waste treatment facilities, the cost of establishing living SOC facilities in the Misasa, Wirye, and Gam-il new towns (490.6 billion KRW), annual subway Line 3, 5, and 9 operating deficits (58.9 billion to 66.4 billion KRW per year), and fiscal responsibility related to the Gyosan New Town (estimated at 260.4 billion KRW plus additional costs). The city has judged that existing tax revenue alone will not be sufficient to meet future demands given these large-scale fiscal challenges.

Mayor Lee proposed securing future growth engines as the solution to overcoming these structural limitations.

Major projects include the development of the Camp Colburn area in Hasan-gok-dong covering 250,000 square meters and the establishment of the Gyosan District AI Innovation Cluster with a total project budget of 3 trillion KRW. The city also plans to develop the K-Hangang National Garden (70%) and K-Culture Complex (30%) in the Misasa Island area, build the Chang-woo-dong H2 Medical and Content Complex, and construct Yonsei Hanam Hospital (210 beds) targeted to open in 2028, solidifying the city’s foundation as a self-sustaining urban center.

Alongside these efforts, the city aims to efficiently manage finances by steadfastly pursuing 101 tasks across five major policy areas for the 9th term, securing national and provincial funding, expanding public project competitions, and spreading investment over multiple years.

Projects that citizens can directly feel in their daily lives are also advancing rapidly. Thirteen projects are set for completion within this year, including the expansion of multi-child family water bill discounts, launch of financial services in North Wirye, extension of city gas supply in Gambu-dong, opening of a park golf course in Dangjeong Neighborhood Park, opening of Wirye Forest Library, establishment of public kids’ cafes and after-school child care centers, and the expansion of smart shelters.

Expanding transportation infrastructure was also highlighted as a key agenda item. The city’s goals include shortening subway Line 5 intervals, ensuring timely opening of Lines 3 and 9, extending the Wirye-Sinsa metro towards Hanam, and having the GTX-D line included in the national rail network—ultimately realizing the “Era of 5 Rail Lines.” Parallel regional balanced development projects are also planned, such as undergrounding utility lines in the old downtown, supporting redevelopment and reconstruction, opening the Wirye Multi-purpose Sports Center, building the Gamil Museum, and creating a water screen at Misa Lake Park.

Hanam City held the "1st Citizen Participation Weekly Meeting of the 9th Elected Term" on the 28th in the main auditorium of the city hall. Provided by Hanam City

Mayor Lee stated, “Despite the achievements Hanam has accumulated, we still face the grave challenges of a weak tax revenue structure and enormous fiscal burdens. We will focus our administrative capacity on successfully completing large-scale projects to strengthen the city’s self-reliance.”

He added, “We will carefully monitor upgrades to the old downtown and regional balanced development while transparently sharing municipal policy directions and achievements with the public through the Citizens Participation Weekly Meeting.”

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