Entering the 9th Popularly Elected Term on His Fourth Attempt—"Promises Prepared Over Time Are Now Ready for Execution"

Marking his 100th day in office for the 9th popularly elected term, Cheonan Mayor Chang Ki-soo unveiled the blueprint for "365 Happy Cheonan," which will lead Cheonan's transformation over the next four years.

Above all, this vision holds special significance for Mayor Chang. Having failed to pass the party primary in three previous mayoral bids—his first attempt in 2014, the 2020 Cheonan mayoral by-election, and the 2022 local election—he won the Cheonan mayoral seat on his fourth try, making this his first mid-to-long-term municipal governance plan since taking office.

On the 8th, Mayor Chang held the "365 Happy Cheonan Vision Proclamation Ceremony" in the city hall conference room, announcing the municipal vision, 5 major goals, 10 major strategies, and 77 practical projects for the 9th popularly elected term.

The municipal vision is "365 Happy Cheonan," and the municipal slogan is "Cheonan Great Transformation, Together with Citizens." Mayor Chang summarized his first 100 days in office with three keywords: "I will listen, I will act, I will be together." He explained that he has materialized policies by communicating with citizens and directly visiting the field.

In particular, Mayor Chang cited his very first executive approval—the "365-Day Opening of Public Facilities"—as the starting point of administration tailored to the citizens' time.

The 5 major goals presented on this day include: ▲ 365 Happy Everyday Life, ▲ 360-Degree Balanced Development, ▲ 1 Million Companion Economy, ▲ 24-Hour Customized Welfare, and ▲ 1st-Class Innovative Administration.

"365 Happy Everyday Life" includes the 365-day opening of public facilities and the expansion of life sports and downtown relaxation spaces. "360-Degree Balanced Development" encompasses the utilization of the Independence Hall Seogok District, northern region development, and the revitalization of Cheonan Station.

"1 Million Companion Economy" aims to broaden the horizons of the local economy through the creation of an AI National Industrial Complex and support for small business owners. "24시간 맞춤복지" (24-Hour Customized Welfare) focuses on strengthening lifecycle-customized welfare, such as Cheonan-style postpartum care and childcare.

"1st-Class Innovative Administration" includes AI-based administrative services, reinforcement of public officials' capabilities, and cooperation within the Cheonan-Asan joint living zone.

Mayor Chang's initiative is less a suddenly crafted blueprint and more of a reorganization of the urban development visions he presented during each of his mayoral bids into current municipal tasks.

In fact, since his first bid for Cheonan mayor in 2014, Mayor Chang has emphasized expanded citizen participation and communicative administration. In the 2020 by-election, he presented citizen participation, balanced development, smart transportation, and customized care as key agendas.

In 2022, he pledged 10 major election promises encompassing a Cheonan-Asan Special Self-Governing City, urban balanced development, digital economic city, citizen participation platform, smart transportation, lifecycle-customized care, and youth jobs.

Even during his mayoral election campaign this year, he presented the Jiksan Station area eco-city, Cheonan-Asan Station AI innovation venture space, Independence Hall Seogok District art museum, and small business people's livelihood economy fund, putting forward the "Three Major Replacements of Generation, Industry, and Administration" as his core strategies.

Ultimately, this "365 Happy Cheonan" is meaningful in that it is an execution plan to translate the policy visions he has accumulated through his mayoral bids into actual municipal administration.

Through a citizen empathy talk on this day, Mayor Chang listened directly to the opinions of citizens, and concluded the event with a performance symbolizing that the voices of citizens will shine and illuminate the city.

Mayor Chang Ki-soo stated, "If my first executive approval upon taking office was '365' signed by the mayor, the next four years must be about making every single day a happy one for every citizen. We will create together a city where citizens can feel changes in their daily lives anytime, 365 days a year."

Mayor Chang Ki-soo refined his pledges and policies through three challenges and became mayor on his fourth attempt. Now, attention is focused on how rapidly his "prepared promises" will translate into tangible results in the daily lives of Cheonan residents.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]