Busan, Ulsan, South Gyeongsang leaders kick off 'ninth directly elected term' era with grassroots first days

The regional government heads of Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province were inaugurated Tuesday, setting the ninth directly elected term ('Minsen 9') era of local governance in motion.

In Busan and Ulsan, the Democratic Party of Korea claimed the mayoral seats while the People Power Party holds majorities in both city councils — making cooperation with legislatures that control the budget and lawmaking powers a defining challenge for newly sworn-in mayors Jeon Jae-soo and Kim Sang-uk. Population decline, economic stagnation and the push for a broader southeastern mega-region are structural problems that all three leaders, including South Gyeongsang Governor Park Wan-su, must tackle together.

Jeon made clear from his first day in office that he would forgo a lavish ceremony in favor of direct engagement with residents. Ban Seon-ho, spokesperson for Jeon's transition committee, said Monday that after paying respects at Chungnyeolsa Shrine, Jeon would complete only the minimum required formalities at City Hall — taking his oath of office and signing the handover documents — before immediately launching his grassroots schedule.

After wrapping up the official administrative steps, Jeon chaired a meeting on his top campaign pledge, the "100-Day Emergency Measures for People's Livelihoods," in the first-floor conference hall of City Hall, signed the related executive documents and publicly announced the measures from the ninth-floor briefing room. The meeting was livestreamed. The "Busan Running Again Committee" said the city has begun building a video broadcasting system, adding that major meetings attended by the mayor will be streamed live going forward.

For his first afternoon engagement, Jeon visited the "Dodam Dodam" rider rest stop in Seomyeon to hear from platform workers — including delivery riders and designated-driver service operators — about their difficulties. He then moved on to the print alley in Jungang-dong, once the largest printing hub in the country, to inspect the site selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' "Local Theme Commercial District" project.

"I will work together with the citizens to make Busan a city whose name is a source of pride — a city where people and opportunities gather," Jeon said. "I will work, and work, and work again, solely for Busan and for its citizens."

Kim began his tenure by addressing residents' grievances and pledging on-site visits to complaint scenes. He held his inauguration ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in the main building's second-floor auditorium, then moved to his seventh-floor office to sign the administrative handover documents before approving the overhaul of the "120 Ulsan Civil Complaint Center" as his first official act.

The 120 Ulsan Civil Complaint Center consolidates the former "Haeuli Call Center," which had handled general inquiries and phone consultations on culture, tourism, transportation and environmental affairs, into a single integrated service. On June 26, during a briefing by the ninth directly elected term Ulsan mayoral transition committee, Kim said the center should go beyond simple phone consultations to handle residents' complaints comprehensively, and that its name should include the words "Ulsan" and "civil complaint" — proposing "120 Ulsan Civil Complaint Center" as the new name.

In the afternoon, Kim boarded Bus Route 126 — the restored "Kkotbawi–Taehwagang Station–Yaeum–Deokha" line that fulfills his campaign pledge to reinstate discontinued city bus routes — at the Deokha depot to ride the restored service and speak with passengers.

Ulsan city plans to operate Route 126 24 times a day using one spare vehicle from each of six bus operators. Starting in September, new vehicles will be added to restore Routes 123 and 307, followed by Routes 327 and 482 in December.

Park began his official duties as ninth directly elected term governor with memorial visits to the National March 15th Democratic Cemetery and the Changwon War Memorial Tower. At 7:50 a.m. Tuesday, he laid flowers and offered incense at the National March 15th Democratic Cemetery in Masan Hoewon-gu, Changwon, before paying his respects at the Changwon War Memorial Tower. The vice governor for administrative affairs and senior provincial office directors joined him in honoring the spirits of democratic martyrs, patriots and war heroes.

After the memorial visits, Park proceeded to the provincial government building, where new civil servants welcomed him. He signed his oath of office and began his first official duties as governor.

At 11 a.m., he held the inauguration ceremony for the 39th Governor of South Gyeongsang Province in the annex auditorium, attended by about 1,000 residents from all walks of life. The ceremony included the oath of office, an inaugural address and a performance marking the proclamation of the ninth directly elected term provincial vision. In his address, Park was expected to outline the policy direction and key initiatives he plans to pursue over the next four years.

Following the ceremony, Park planted a commemorative tree in the provincial government garden to mark the launch of the ninth directly elected term administration. At 2:30 p.m., he attended the inauguration of South Gyeongsang Province Education Superintendent Kwon Sun-gi, rounding out a full first day in office.