Daegu mayor-elect Choo Kyung-ho forgoes official residence, rents private apartment

Daegu Mayor-elect Choo Kyung-ho has arranged his own housing rather than moving into the city's official mayoral residence.

Choo signed a lease on an apartment in Chimsan-dong, Buk-gu, Daegu, and completed his address registration on Monday.

"As a mayor elected by the people of Daegu through a democratic process, there is no reason for me to live in an official residence funded by taxpayers," Choo said. "I will reduce the administrative and fiscal burden that comes with operating the residence, return those resources to the citizens, and put the principles of pragmatism and accountability into practice."

The decision marks the first concrete step toward the "pragmatism, communication and on-the-ground governance" philosophy that Choo's transition committee has outlined. It also signals his intent to break from the longstanding practice of using the mayoral residence and to cut unnecessary spending.

The city-owned official residence is expected to be put up for sale in accordance with relevant regulations.

"Change and innovation in Daegu begin with small acts," Choo said. "I will focus on hands-on, citizen-centered governance and devote all my energy above all to reviving Daegu's economy and securing the drivers of future growth."