Park Chan-dae inaugurated as Incheon mayor, vows fiscal reform and new economic vision

Park Chan-dae was officially inaugurated as Incheon's mayor on Tuesday, marking the start of the city's ninth directly elected municipal administration.

Park held his inauguration ceremony at Incheon Aetteul Plaza in front of Incheon City Hall that morning, laying out three core governing priorities: sustainable city administration, open governance through citizen communication, and growth that improves residents' daily lives.

In his inaugural address, he identified fiscal and administrative normalization as the most urgent challenges facing Incheon.

"I will not turn away from the fiscal and policy problems that arose during the eighth administration," Park said. "I will closely examine the city's finances and run a transparent administration that discloses every step of the process to citizens."

Park outlines governing direction and key policy plans

Park then detailed his governing direction and major policy plans for the ninth administration.

He said reviewing existing projects and securing fiscal soundness would take priority over launching new initiatives, and pledged to scrutinize hidden liabilities and potential budget waste.

At the same time, Park unveiled an "ABC+E strategy" — combining AI, biotech, culture and energy — as the engine of Incheon's future growth.

Through the strategy, he aims to strengthen the city's competitiveness as a global biotech hub, revitalize culture in older urban districts, and develop eco-friendly energy industries, with the goal of making Incheon South Korea's leading economic city.

"We will usher in an era of an average annual salary of 55 million won ($35,500) and leap into the ranks of the top five economic cities in South Korea by 2030," Park said.

He also noted that he is the first mayor to have grown up and been educated entirely in Incheon, saying, "I will repay citizens with results, as much as Incheon has given me."

Cooperative governance and communication on day one

Park's first day in office focused squarely on cooperation and dialogue.

He met with representatives of veterans' organizations and pledged to strengthen recognition of national merit holders and their families, then attended the opening ceremony of the 10th Incheon City Council to signal his commitment to working with the legislature.

"The city government and the council are partners running together for a better life for citizens," he told council members. "I will build a cooperative relationship for Incheon's development that goes beyond the ruling and opposition parties."

Park also attached significance to the restructured administrative framework launched alongside the ninth administration. He was set to attend inauguration events for four new administrative districts — Yeongjong-gu, Jemulpo-gu, Seohae-gu and Geomdan-gu — where he planned to express his commitment to balanced regional development and improved administrative efficiency.

With his inauguration, Park now faces three simultaneous challenges: fiscal reform, nurturing future industries, and implementing the new administrative structure.

Whether the ninth Incheon administration can move beyond change and deliver results that citizens can tangibly feel has emerged as the defining test of Park's tenure.