Choi Sang-ki, the county chief of Inje-gun in Gangwon Province, used his inauguration ceremony Wednesday to call for change — a striking emphasis for a leader beginning his third consecutive term.
Choi said he would expand tourism offerings, including a garden city concept, to draw 10 million visitors a year, and build a community where AI enhances residents' daily lives.
The slogan for his ninth-term county administration is "Four years of completion — opening Inje-gun's 100-year future together with 70,000 residents." He also pledged to pursue a county government of "grand unity," declaring he would "prove it through results."
Whether he can deliver on that promise in a third term — or expose unfinished business — remains to be seen.
Choi presented "compact city" and "garden city" as the twin pillars of his vision for transforming Inje's economy as the county prepares for the KTX high-speed rail era and a shrinking population.
"When we pool our scattered strengths, we gain scale and efficiency," he said, announcing plans to merge Inje-eup, Deoksan and Wontong into a single living zone under the compact city framework.
He linked that concept to a broader vision of turning Inje's greatest asset — its natural landscape — into a garden city. The plan envisions the compact city drawing people in while the garden city keeps tourists lingering, so that scenery generates income and visitors' time translates into earnings for residents, driving a fundamental transformation of the local economy.
Choi also said he would ensure the ongoing straightening of National Route 31 stays on track and push to complete the KTX Wontong Station connection. He reaffirmed a concrete infrastructure road map: finish the general sports complex within 2026 and use it as a springboard to host the 2028 Gangwon Provincial Games.
He also declared a policy of "making AI part of everyday life" as part of a digital innovation drive for the Fourth Industrial Revolution era. "AI does not ask where you live," Choi said. "Whether you live in Seoul or Inje, everyone can hold the same tool in their hands. We will actively support farmers, civil servants, students and soldiers so that anyone can use AI in their own work — and living in Inje will never mean falling behind."
He added that the county would increase AI use within its own civil service to streamline operations and cut administrative procedures and paperwork.
Earlier Wednesday, Choi began his first official schedule with a visit to the Chunghoontap war memorial at 9 a.m. The inauguration ceremony featured a joint entrance procession with resident representatives, and the gathering concluded with a collective pledge to "move forward together toward a greater future as a united Inje."
The lobby outside the main venue hosted a range of side events, including a traditional tea ceremony, a photo exhibition titled "Inje Yesterday and July 1," and a "Hope Tree Message" board where attendees could write their wishes for the county administration.
Residents who joined Choi in the entrance procession included Kim Ji-yu (a first-year student at Inje Middle School), Kim Ji-an (a third-year student at Nam Elementary School), Kim Yeong-gi (a member of Inje Junior Chamber International), Kim Seon-jae (a member of a multicultural family), farmers Kim Hyo-seong and Jeon Chun-ok, senior citizen Park Jong-hwa (a member of the Inje-gun chapter of the Korea Senior Citizens Association), Son Dong-chan (from the Association for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities), Won Jeong-ho (a volunteer crime-prevention patrol member) and Yu Ji-an (a firefighter).
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