Yongsan District Mayor Kim Kyung-dae Signs First Order to Fast-Track Development, Launches 9th Elected Term

Kim Kyung-dae was officially inaugurated Tuesday as the 42nd mayor of Yongsan-gu, marking the start of the 9th elected term of district administration.

From midnight, when his term began, Kim visited the duty office, the disaster safety operations center and the integrated control center to inspect the district's emergency response systems and encourage staff on duty.

Kim told the duty commander that "protecting the lives and safety of residents is the top priority of district administration," urging thorough situation management and swift initial response.

Later Tuesday, Kim was scheduled to pay his respects at the National Cemetery and attend the Seoul mayor's inauguration ceremony before arriving at the district office — located at 150 Noksapyeong-daero — through the main outdoor plaza gate at 11 a.m. He planned to stop briefly at the second-floor civil affairs office to share a few remarks before proceeding to his executive office.

At the executive office, a formal transfer-of-duties ceremony and the signing of his first official order were set to take place. The deputy district mayor and department directors were to witness the signing of the transfer documents. Kim's first official order is expected to be the establishment of dedicated bodies for "unimpeded Yongsan development and enhanced safety."

The creation of a Yongsan Development Rapid Promotion Team and a Safety and Disaster Management Team were among Kim's key campaign pledges. The plan calls for forming dedicated units as directly affiliated bodies, with ordinance revisions and organizational restructuring to follow. By making this his first official order, Kim signaled the core direction of his administration while expressing his personal commitment to overseeing redevelopment and construction projects directly.

The Yongsan Development Rapid Promotion Team will go beyond routine permitting to handle overall progress management, stage-by-stage project inspections, and conflict mediation and resident complaint resolution. The Safety and Disaster Management Team will serve as the control tower for disaster response, building a prevention-focused safety management system alongside rapid situational assessment and response capabilities. Both units will initially operate as provisional bodies before being formalized in a broader organizational restructuring.

For his first lunch, Kim planned to dine with about 10 junior employees in their second or third year of service at the district cafeteria, listening to their concerns and suggestions. The group includes staff from a range of fields, including general administration, technology, social welfare, taxation and disaster prevention.

The inauguration ceremony is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Mir Grand Theater of Yongsan Arts Hall. A separate public welcome event was omitted in keeping with Kim's pragmatic approach. About 700 people are expected to attend, including National Assembly members, Seoul Metropolitan Council and district council members, civic organizations and residents.

The ceremony begins at 2:25 p.m. with a string quartet prelude, followed by the national pledge, introduction of distinguished guests, a special inauguration video, the oath of office, the inaugural address, and congratulatory speeches and songs. Im Hyeong-ju, chairman of the Yongsan Culture Foundation, is set to take the stage and perform a solo rendition of the national anthem as a gesture of celebration.

"The 9th elected term will be the starting point of responsible governance that fulfills promises made to residents," Kim said. "I will make safety, unimpeded Yongsan development and the restoration of livelihoods my top priorities, and run a district administration where residents can feel the change." He added: "I will put practice over formality and results over appearances, find answers in the field, communicate constantly with residents and build a greater future for Yongsan."