'I feel the weight of responsibility to 430,000 residents,' says Lee Seung-ro after winning third term as Seongbuk-gu district mayor

"Before any sense of glory at winning a third term, what I feel first is the heavy sense of mission to be responsible for the lives of 430,000 Seongbuk-gu residents."

Lee Seung-ro, who secured a third consecutive term as Seongbuk-gu district mayor in the June 3 local elections, expressed gratitude to residents and outlined his governing priorities for the ninth term of civilian administration.

"The support and backing I received in this election is not an evaluation of me as an individual — it is the residents' expectation and instruction to build a better Seongbuk," Lee said in his victory statement. "I will take the residents' choice seriously and lead the district with an even more humble posture."

Lee said the honor of a third term was "by no means a personal achievement," adding that he took it as a residents' mandate to complete the projects pursued over the past eight years and prepare Seongbuk for the future.

Having led the district through the seventh and eighth terms of civilian administration and now into the ninth, Lee said the coming four years would be a critical period that would determine Seongbuk's future.

"We have driven change across education, welfare, culture and the urban environment, but many challenges remain," he said. "I will put people's livelihoods first and concentrate our efforts on revitalizing the local economy, improving residential conditions, expanding transportation infrastructure, strengthening care and welfare services, and broadening youth policy."

He also pledged to maintain field-centered governance that does not miss even the smallest voices of residents. "I will be a district mayor who follows through on every campaign pledge and keeps every promise," he said.

Lee said his three terms of experience must not breed complacency. "On the foundation of administrative stability and continuity, I will develop a long-term vision that prepares Seongbuk for the next 10 to 20 years," he said.

He also extended a message of unity to residents who had supported rival candidates during the campaign.

"The election is over, and now is the time for everyone to pull together for Seongbuk's development," Lee said. "I will be a district mayor for everyone — cherishing not only the wishes of those who supported me, but also those who chose a different candidate."

"I will get back out into the field to build a Seongbuk where every resident has a stake and no one is left behind," he added. "I will repay the trust you have placed in me with results."

With his third-term victory, Lee is set to take on new challenges aimed at sustainable growth and improving residents' quality of life when the ninth term of civilian administration gets under way.