Park Chan-dae launches transition committee, vows to put Incheon residents first

Incheon Mayor-elect Park Chan-dae officially launched the ninth-term mayoral transition committee Wednesday, declaring that "the spirit of the times in 2026 is solely Incheon — solely the people of Incheon" and naming the restoration of livelihoods and economic revitalization as the city government's top priorities.

Speaking at the committee's inaugural sign-hanging ceremony, Park drew a historical parallel. "A hundred years ago, the spirit of the June 10 Independence Movement was self-determination; in 1987, the spirit of the June 10 Democracy Movement was democratization," he said. "The most urgent task facing citizens in 2026 is reviving the economy and firing up a new growth engine."

He went on to say that "the reality citizens face right now is a matter of survival — filling thinning wallets, raising children safely, caring for the elderly and protecting jobs." He added that balanced development between older urban districts and new towns, as well as solutions to transportation and residential problems, must be found where citizens actually live.

Rather than dwelling on his election victory, Park opened by addressing the hardships facing residents and diagnosing what he called a livelihood crisis.

"In every alley I walk through, the daily lives of the people I meet are a state of emergency," he said. "Self-employed business owners are sighing under soaring prices, and salaried workers are walking with slumped shoulders."

He characterized the transition committee as "a field operations center that rolls up its sleeves immediately and tends to the scene first," signaling a hands-on approach to governance.

To that end, he said he had assembled a "practical dream team" made up of political figures, including committee chair Maeng Seong-gyu, alongside specialists from a range of fields.

Park also announced the launch of the "Emergency Livelihood Recovery 100-Day Project" alongside the transition committee's inauguration Wednesday.

"We will prepare measures to fill citizens' wallets and ease their worries so they can be put into action the moment I take office," he said. "We will flesh out the core vision, including the ABC+E strategy, and present citizens with a campaign pledge implementation plan complete with figures and timelines."

He added that "through the transition committee's blueprint, campaign pledges will become reality and Incheon will make a great leap forward," and pledged to "fulfill without fail the solemn spirit of the times — protecting the lives of citizens."

The launch of the transition committee formally signaled that the ninth-term Incheon city government will orient itself around livelihood recovery, economic revitalization and citizen-centered administration. With Park defining "only the people of Incheon" as the spirit of the era and pledging to focus on livelihood measures before taking office, attention is turning to whether his administration will center its policy direction on initiatives that citizens can tangibly feel.