As Incheon’s Jung-gu District (Mayor Kim Jung-heon) prepares to be split into Yeongjong-gu and Jemulpo-gu on July 1, consigning the name of an administrative district that has endured since 1995 to history, Mayor Kim Jung-heon, who oversaw its final days, held a farewell ceremony on June 26 in the main conference hall of the Jung-gu District Office’s Woldi Hall, bringing his four-year term to a close. Kim said, “As the last mayor of Jung-gu and as one of Incheon’s citizens, I will be a seed for the growth of Yeongjong-gu and Jemulpo-gu as they begin a new chapter of history.”
 [The Korean Today] Farewell ceremony for Kim Jung-heon, 10th mayor of Incheon’s Jung-gu District under the eighth popularly elected local government © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
The farewell ceremony was attended by some 200 people, including residents, public officials, district council members and the heads of related institutions and organizations. The event opened with the screening of a commemorative video chronicling the footsteps and achievements of the district administration pursued over four years under the vision of “Incheon Jung-gu, a New Leap Forward as a Global Convergence City,” followed in turn by the presentation of a plaque of appreciation honoring the mayor’s efforts during his tenure, the offering of a bouquet by a staff representative, the farewell address, and a send-off song performed by the Jung-gu Women’s Choir.
The significance of this farewell ceremony goes beyond a mere end of term. Under the “Incheon-style administrative system reform,” Jung-gu will be newly divided into Yeongjong-gu and Jemulpo-gu on July 1, meaning Kim is departing after completing his duties as the historic final mayor of the unified Jung-gu and its 10th district mayor. It is a rare scene, with the last head of a local government wrapping up his post at a turning point where the name of a self-governing district disappears.
In his farewell address, Kim looked back on his term, saying, “The past four years since I took office in July 2022 have been an intense journey in which we had to go beyond resolving the pending issues of Yeongjong International City and the old town center and newly design the future of Jung-gu amid a sweeping historical transition.” The remark indirectly pointed to the difficulty of having to simultaneously resolve the differing issues of both sides, given the nature of Jung-gu, where the new town of Yeongjong International City and the old town center coexist within a single administrative district.
He cited transportation and development issues directly tied to residents’ daily lives as accomplishments during his term. Kim said, “Above all, together with the residents, we were able to successfully push forward the resolution of the toll issue on the Yeongjong and Incheon bridges, the opening of the Cheongna Haneul Bridge, and the opening of the Inner Harbor,” adding, “These are medals of honor we forged together, and as mayor it was an immense privilege.” The toll reduction on the Yeongjong and Incheon bridges and the opening of the Cheongna Haneul Bridge have been directly linked to the long-standing transportation burden of residents in the Yeongjong area, which connects island and mainland, and have been regarded as tasks with a major impact on local living conditions.
Kim defined the administrative division as an opportunity for a new leap forward. “The launch of Yeongjong-gu and Jemulpo-gu is an opportunity for an even greater leap,” he said. “The name of Jung-gu will be inscribed in history, but the DNA of change that we created together will carry on even more brilliantly in the new futures of the two districts.”
Kim then expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am grateful to the residents who sent unstinting trust and affection for the development of Jung-gu throughout my tenure, and to the public officials who devotedly worked alongside me,” and, “I will keep the undeserved love and grace of this time deep in my heart.” He added, “I will sincerely cheer for the newly launching Yeongjong-gu and Jemulpo-gu to achieve even richer and more valuable results and to leap ever higher.”
With the four years of the eighth popularly elected local government of Jung-gu coming to a close with the June 26 farewell ceremony, the two self-governing districts of Yeongjong-gu and Jemulpo-gu will be newly launched starting July 1. How the administrative experience of the unified Jung-gu era and its achievements in resolving pending issues will carry over to the starting line of the two districts remains a point of interest for the local community in Incheon’s southern region going forward.
[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]
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