Yeongdeok-gun chief vows to unlock 1 trillion won era at inauguration

Cho Ju-hong was inaugurated as chief of Yeongdeok-gun in North Gyeongsang Province on Tuesday at the Yeongdeok National Sports Center, with about 1,000 attendees including heads of local institutions and organizations and residents.

At the ceremony, Cho proclaimed his governing vision — "Upright governance, Yeongdeok on the move again" — and pledged to personally visit the central government, the National Assembly, North Gyeongsang Province and businesses to usher in an era of 1 trillion won ($646 million) in budgets and investment.

He then pointed to the planned construction of two new large-scale nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of 1.4 gigawatts and a project value of 12 trillion won, the siting of which was confirmed June 17, calling it "an opportunity to dramatically advance the regional foundation in industry, jobs, transportation, healthcare and education."

He added, however, that "nuclear power only has meaning when the safety and consent of residents, and the benefit of all residents, are the premise," and said he would pursue the project carefully and transparently to ensure that nuclear support funds and economic benefits improve the lives of all residents — not just specific areas or groups.

Cho also outlined plans to establish a "Yeongdeok Energy Mix Committee" to work toward making the county a hub city of a "trans-Donghae energy special zone" encompassing solar, wind, hydrogen and nuclear power. The committee would bring together residents and experts to discuss safety, the environment, employment, business attraction and the use of support funds, with the aim of building social consensus.

Alongside this, Cho pledged to pursue industrial restructuring — including fostering a smart marine industry, building a seamless agricultural support system, and promoting marine, healing and meditation tourism — as well as resident-centered administration through strengthened integrated care and emergency medical services, and faster handling of everyday civil complaints.

"My love for Yeongdeok and my determination to work hard for Yeongdeok are second to none," Cho said. "I will open a new era of successful local governance so that residents can feel real change in their daily lives."

Meanwhile, Cho began his first official schedule that day with a visit to the Chunghoontap war memorial before the inauguration. After the ceremony, he held a meeting with senior civil servants, signed the office handover documents, met with reporters and visited major institutions in the county.