Yangju Under Mayor Jeong Deokyeong: "Citizens Are the True Owners"... 'People's Sovereignty, Great Transformation' Sets Sail

Yangju Mayor Jeong Deokyeong Marks 100 Days of Ninth Popularly Elected Administration

Sets “People’s Sovereignty and a City at the Center of Northern Gyeonggi” as Guiding Vision

Vows Bold Overhaul of Entrenched and Wasteful Practices, Starting with Transition Committee

Expands Foundations for GTX-C, Advanced Industries, Education, and Public Healthcare

Mayor Jeong: “We Will Deliver Tangible Results as a Self-Sufficient City”

Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, has rapidly expanded its residential areas and population through the development of the Okjeong and Hoecheon new towns. The challenge now is to provide jobs, transportation, education, and medical services within the growing city. Building a self-sufficient city where residents can reduce the burden of commuting to Seoul, work locally, and access the services they need is at the heart of the ninth popularly elected administration.

Marking his first 100 days in office, Yangju Mayor Jeong Deokyeong presented “People’s Sovereignty, Great Transformation, Yangju at the Center of Northern Gyeonggi” as his vision for city administration. His plan goes beyond expanding the city’s size to bring about changes in daily life that residents can feel.

Yangju must meet growing demand for education and transportation in its new towns while also strengthening the foundations for daily life in the old downtown and western areas. Attracting businesses and expanding medical and care services are also outstanding tasks. The city’s first 100 days focused on setting the direction and laying the groundwork for these initiatives.

Yangju Mayor Jung Deokyoung. Provided by Yangju City.

Citizens Present the Mayor with His Appointment Letter... Changing the Standards for City Administration

Immediately after his election, Mayor Jeong named his transition committee the “Yangju Great Transformation and People’s Sovereignty Ninth Yangju Mayoral Transition Committee.” It established four subcommittees covering people’s sovereignty; jobs and the economy; urban development, transportation, and balanced growth; and education, culture, and welfare to review the city’s vision and policy priorities.

The transition committee received suggestions about daily inconveniences and policy ideas through an online public submissions portal. It visited key sites, including the planned locations of Deokgye Station and Hoecheon Jungang Station, Maegaemi Stream, and Okjeong Lake Park, and consulted with relevant organizations on adding trains to Line 1 and improving service intervals. It also met with small business owners, representatives of textile companies, young job seekers, and startups to hear about challenges on the ground.

At the inauguration ceremony on July 1, designated seating and introductions of guests of honor were eliminated. All citizens attending the event were welcomed as guests of honor, and nine citizen representatives presented the mayor with his appointment letter on behalf of Yangju’s 300,000 residents. The gesture underscored that the mayor’s authority comes from the citizens.

In his inaugural address, Mayor Jeong set out “people’s sovereignty, communication, practicality, innovation, and inclusion” as the principles guiding his administration. Within the city government, a review of key work plans was used to reassess customary and wasteful programs and set a course for restructuring those with limited effectiveness. The aim is to focus limited resources on areas that residents need in their daily lives.

A field meeting of the transition committee for Yangju City's ninth popularly elected administration, held last June. Photo courtesy of Yangju City.

GTX-C Construction Begins... Expanding Transit to Ease Commuting

Transportation is the area where residents feel changes in the city most directly. Yangju is working both to expand its regional rail network and to improve conditions for passengers using existing rail services.

Construction of the main section of GTX-C began on September 15. The project aims to make the trip from Deokjeong to Seoul’s Samseong Station in around 20 minutes. Yangju is also pursuing an additional stop at Yangju Station on the GTX-C line, with plans to extend the benefits of improved transportation to the old downtown and western areas.

The extension of Line 7 is another major transportation priority. Since September, service intervals during evening rush hour at Deokgye and Deokjeong stations have been shortened. The city’s approach is to reduce inconvenience on transit services that residents use now while also pursuing regional rail projects that require more time.

Going forward, the city will need to improve not only rail construction but also connections to stations and transfer options. That is essential to ensuring that new lines actually shorten residents’ commutes.

Yangju City signed a KRW 1 trillion investment agreement with Logis Valley last July. Courtesy of Yangju City.

Attracting Businesses to Techno Valley and Eunnam Industrial Complex... Turning Investment Plans into Jobs

Jobs are another key pillar of a self-sufficient city. Yangju is working to attract businesses and expand its industrial base, focusing on Gyeonggi Yangju Techno Valley and Eunnam General Industrial Complex.

Gyeonggi Yangju Techno Valley, near Yangju Station, will be developed as a hub for advanced industries such as AI and biotechnology, as well as research and development. Eunnam General Industrial Complex will be developed as an industrial hub focused on manufacturing, distribution, and logistics.

In July, the city signed agreements with tenant companies to pursue investments totaling 28.6 billion won and create 140 new jobs. It also signed an agreement with integrated logistics company Logis Valley outlining an investment plan worth 1 trillion won. In August, the city held an investment environment briefing for companies affiliated with the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI).

The remaining challenge is to put the investment plans into action. Follow-up support will be needed to ensure the agreements lead to the construction of facilities, companies moving in, and new hires. Education and employment support must also be connected so local talent can access these new jobs.

Yangju Mayor Jeong Deokyoung meets with the Okjeong Parents' Association Alliance. Photo provided by Yangju City.

From Expanding Schools to Career and Employment Support... An Education Ecosystem Rooted in the Community

In education, the city is responding to growing student numbers in new towns and disparities in educational opportunities between areas. It is pursuing the establishment of a Yangju Office of Education, the expansion of schools, and measures to ease overcrowded classrooms. It also plans to build a school-community complex at Ganap Elementary School in the western area.

The city is also supporting customized English instruction for elementary students, as well as AI, coding, and robotics education. Its plan is to link career education connecting high schools, universities, and businesses with AI talent development and support for youth internships and startups.

The goal of education policy goes beyond improving school facilities. It is to create a foundation that enables students educated locally to gain experience at companies and go on to find jobs or start businesses. Aligning education and industrial policies can also increase the likelihood that young people will settle in the region.

Yangju Mayor Jeong Deok-young expresses his determination to have the Hoeamsaji Temple Site inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site during a meeting with the head of the Korea Heritage Service. Photo courtesy of Yangju City.

Pursuing World Heritage Status for Hoeamsaji... Turning Historical Assets into an Urban Advantage

Yangju is home to historical and cultural assets including Hoeamsaji, Yangju Daemosanseong Fortress, Yangju Government Office Site, and Yangju Byeolsandae Nori. The city plans to preserve these assets while making use of them to support residents’ cultural lives and tourism.

Yangju is pursuing the necessary procedures with the goal of having Hoeamsaji inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2029. During the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held in Busan in July, the city operated a Hoeamsaji information center at the Korea Pavilion to introduce the site’s historical significance to visitors from Korea and abroad.

Alongside the effort to secure World Heritage status, it is also important to expand opportunities for residents to experience local history and culture. A key task going forward is to develop content that turns interest in cultural heritage into visits, hands-on experiences, and spending at local businesses.

Yangju Mayor Jeong Deok-young hands Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae a proposal calling for the early construction of Yangju Public Hospital. Photo provided by Yangju City.

Advancing Public Medical Center and Integrated Care... Building a City Where Residents Can Get Treatment Close to Home

Expanding medical and care services is another major task in the transition to a self-sufficient city. Yangju is pursuing a public medical center in northeastern Gyeonggi Province, aiming to begin construction in 2030 and open the facility in 2033. The plan is to secure a foundation for residents to access public medical services close to home.

The city is also strengthening a care safety net centered on residents’ homes through the “Yangju-Style Integrated Care Program.” The program supports residents who need care so they can receive the help they need in the communities where they have lived.

As construction of a public medical center is a mid- to long-term project, the city must stay on schedule while also responding to current demand for medical and care services. Expanding facilities and strengthening services together will help ease residents’ anxieties about daily life.

Yangju Mayor Jeong Deokyoung conducts an on-site inspection at the Cheonilhong Festa at Nari Farm. Courtesy of Yangju City.

Residents Must Feel the Benefits of Urban Growth in Their Daily Lives

During its first 100 days, Yangju’s ninth popularly elected administration put citizen participation and the expansion of self-sufficient functions at the center of city government. It identified transportation, industry, education, culture, medical services, and care as key priorities and began reviewing how the city government operates and manages its finances.

Going forward, effective implementation of each project will be crucial. The city must keep GTX-C and the Line 7 extension on track and turn investment agreements into companies moving in and creating jobs. It must meet the needs of residents in new towns while also narrowing the gap between the eastern and western areas. Securing funding and consulting with relevant organizations will be essential to this effort.

Citizen participation must also continue through the policy implementation process. The city needs to explain how residents’ suggestions were reviewed and incorporated and share progress and results.

Yangju Mayor Jeong Deokyeong said, “The first 100 days since the launch of the ninth popularly elected administration were a time to establish the direction of change in Yangju and lay the groundwork for moving forward, based on the voices of residents.” He added, “We will steadily advance projects directly connected to residents’ lives, including transportation, jobs, education, and medical services, so that the city’s growth leads to changes in daily life that residents can feel.”

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