Sangju mayor An Jae-min takes office, vows to accelerate city's development

Sangju Mayor An Jae-min held his inauguration ceremony Tuesday at the grand performance hall of Sangju Culture Center, with about 600 people in attendance, including lawmakers, provincial and city council members, heads of institutions and organizations, and residents.

Before the ceremony, An visited the Chunghoontap war memorial to lay flowers and offer incense in honor of fallen patriots and war heroes, marking the first official engagement of the ninth directly elected mayoral term.

The ceremony opened with a formal declaration, followed by the national salute, a biographical introduction, the oath of office, the inaugural address, congratulatory remarks and the presentation of celebratory messages.

In his inaugural address, An said Sangju stands at a critical turning point across multiple areas, including population decline, a sluggish local economy, and conditions affecting agriculture, healthcare, tourism and residential life. "We will move beyond conflict and division and accelerate Sangju's development through a city administration where all residents work together in harmony," he said.

He said his administration would concentrate its efforts on five priorities: building a food industry city by attracting a national agri-food cluster and major food companies; developing a destination tourism city through tourism revitalization and a consumer circulation system; pursuing a sports mega-city project anchored by national and international competitions; establishing a medical safety city with cardiovascular and pediatric emergency centers; and creating a sustainable agricultural city through rural workforce innovation and price stabilization measures.