Son Hun-mo, the incoming mayor of Suncheon for the ninth directly elected term, took his oath of office as mayor-elect in front of the historic "Palma" stele in the city's old downtown, pledging to uphold integrity and earn the public's trust.
The "Suncheon (Seungpyeong) Palma" stele — whose name means "eight horses" — is a nationally designated heritage treasure regarded as a symbol of clean governance and a model of virtuous local administration.
According to Suncheon city, Son took his oath of office Monday, vowing to "faithfully carry out the duties of mayor in compliance with laws and regulations, and in pursuit of residents' welfare, regional development and the realization of national policy."
He then signed an integrity pledge, reaffirming the basic conduct expected of a public official and committing to pursue clean and fair governance that citizens can trust.
"I will listen to the voices of citizens, deliberate with them and find answers together, creating change that people can feel in their daily lives," Son said. "I will build a Suncheon that citizens love and trust, grounded in integrity and accountability."
Son formally began his term Tuesday. He will hold his inauguration ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Suncheonman Ecological and Cultural Education Center in Yeonhyang-dong.
Son won the June 3 local elections with 46.85 percent of the vote — 71,290 ballots — defeating candidate No Gwan-gyu, who sought a non-consecutive fourth term, by 6.08 percentage points. No received 40.77 percent.
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