Oh Se-hoon vows to complete 'world-class Seoul' in fifth term

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon pledged Wednesday to "complete Seoul as a special city of quality of life recognized by the world."

Oh made the remarks at his inauguration as the 40th mayor of Seoul, held at City Hall on Wednesday morning. The ceremony was held under the slogan "Four years for citizens, completing a greater Seoul."

"You have again entrusted me with Seoul's future," Oh said in his inaugural address. "I know well that five terms of trust carries more than five times the responsibility. On this Wednesday, I stand here bearing that heavy responsibility." Oh became the city's first five-term mayor following his victory in the June 3 local elections.

"Over the past five years, Seoul has reset its course," he said. "We restored the city's warmth by walking alongside the vulnerable, and revived its competitiveness as an attractive city. We have planted seeds of change to transform citizens' lives — in housing and care, education and health, transportation and culture." He added that completing change matters more than starting it. "Change is only complete when citizens say their lives have improved," he said.

Oh said making Seoul a top-three global city is not simply about climbing world city rankings. "It means creating a city where people from around the world want to stay, and where citizens want to live their whole lives," he said. "That is what a special city of quality of life means — that is the 'greater Seoul' we will build together."

Oh said he would fulfill his promises one by one in citizens' daily lives, laying out five goals: a Seoul where young people dream again, a Seoul where everyone is healthy, a Seoul free from housing worries, a Seoul with faster connectivity, and a Seoul where neighborhood alleys come alive.

"Bold investment in youth is the surest future asset that will sustain Seoul 10 and 20 years from now," Oh said. He promised to provide practical skills for young people preparing to enter the workforce, solid tools for those dreaming of starting a business, and a foundation for advancement for those already working. He also said that if young people leave Seoul because of housing costs, "that is not a failure of youth — it is a failure of Seoul," pledging to help them start their lives and plan their futures in the city through youth housing policies including the Saessak studio apartment program. He also vowed that "no one will be left behind by technological advancement," announcing that the Seoul Metropolitan Government would guarantee AI basic rights for 500,000 young people.

Oh emphasized citizens' right to health, promising to make it accessible "in the nearest places." He pledged to build a "10-minute fitness city" where residents can walk, run and exercise freely within a 10-minute walk from home. On housing policy, he said the Seoul Metropolitan Government would accelerate supply with a target of breaking ground on 310,000 units by 2031, delivering "the right housing, in the right places, at a pace citizens can feel." He also called transportation innovation "the surest investment in quality of life," saying the city would complete seven urban rail lines on schedule and usher in an era where every resident has a subway station within 10 minutes of home.

To revitalize neighborhood economies, Oh pledged to strengthen comprehensive support for small business owners covering financing, sales channels, management innovation and digital transformation. He said the city would develop the nighttime economy as "a new engine of daily life in Seoul," creating nighttime economy co-prosperity zones in Hongdae, Euljiro, Gangnam, Yeouido and other areas across the city to give residents richer evenings and inject vitality into local commercial districts.

Before the ceremony, Oh visited the Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak-gu to pay his respects and reaffirm his commitment to leading the ninth elected city administration. The visit was attended by Oh, the first and second administrative deputy mayors, the political affairs deputy mayor, and 15 district mayors. After laying flowers and burning incense at the memorial tower, Oh wrote in the guest book: "I will make Seoul a warmer and healthier special city of quality of life."