Guro District Mayor Jang In-hong Kicks Off First Day of Elected Term at Grassroots Economic Sites

Guro-gu District Mayor Jang In-hong launched the first official day of his ninth elected-term administration on Tuesday with a schedule centered on the local economy and community life.

Jang's first official act that day was signing the "2026 Guro Love Gift Certificate Expanded Issuance Plan." The move carried symbolic weight: when Jang took office following a by-election last year, his first approval had also been for expanded issuance of the Guro Love gift certificate, signaling that reviving the local economy would remain the top priority of his administration in the new term as well.

Jang then attended a designation certificate ceremony at the district office's Creative Hall, presenting certificates to three newly designated alley-type shopping districts — Singuro Hyundai Urban Valley, Gaebong Nambuyeokjeon-gil and Cheonwang Village. At the event, he exchanged views with merchants on ways to revitalize the alley commercial districts.

He went on to visit Deogui Senior Center and Gocheok Neighborhood Market, followed by Guro 2-dong Ahopgil Senior Center and the Guro and Nam-Guro markets. At the senior centers, he spoke directly with elderly residents to hear about inconveniences and welfare needs. At the traditional markets, he met with merchants to listen to their concerns about economic conditions and on-the-ground difficulties.

At 5 p.m., an inauguration ceremony for the ninth elected-term district mayor was held at the main auditorium of Guro Community Center, open to all residents. The event was organized as an open gathering rather than a protocol-heavy formal ceremony.

A highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of "citizen appointment letters" — carrying the hopes and wishes of Guro residents — by representatives from nine community groups: children and teenagers, youth, workers, small business owners, women, volunteers, people with disabilities, multicultural families and senior citizens.

In his inaugural address, Jang set "change that residents can feel" as the guiding principle of his administration and outlined five pledges: a leaping Guro, a society built on solid fundamentals, a vibrant local economy, sustainable development, and AI-driven autonomous innovation in governance.

He added, "Major policies change the future of Guro, and small complaints change a resident's day. We will push forward with reshaping the city's larger structure while also tending to the small inconveniences in our alleyways."

"Starting my first approval on the first day of my term with support for the local economy and alley commercial districts reflects my commitment to putting residents' livelihoods first," Jang said. "I will reflect the voices I heard in the field in district governance and build a Guro that gives strength to residents' lives."