"Respected sunbae and fellow assembly members, please consider why the people of this province have given us such a delicate balance. Their deep intention is for us not to go it alone, but to put our heads together, clash ideas, and reach stronger conclusions. I want to begin, together with you, a great politics of unity — one that looks only to the people of this province, transcending party lines, and turns our differences into solutions."
Park Gil-seon, elected as the new speaker of the Gangwon Provincial Assembly, called for cross-party unity politics at the assembly's opening ceremony Monday.
The recent local elections produced a nuanced result for Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province: the Democratic Party candidate won the governorship, while the opposition secured a slight majority in the provincial assembly. In the 18 city and county mayoral races, the ruling party led 11 to 7. Taken together, the overall political tide in the province has shifted from conservative to progressive.
The assembly itself saw a sweeping turnover. Of the 54 members, 30 are serving their first term.
The 12th Gangwon Provincial Assembly's spirit of challenge is stronger than ever — seasoned figures from local government, such as former Donghae City Assembly Speaker Lee Dong-ho, ran for provincial seats as first-timers and won. Members also wore visible expressions of tension, keenly aware of the exacting and finely calibrated verdict the province's voters had delivered.
The assembly elected Hong Seong-gi and Jeong Jae-ung as deputy speakers Monday, then held the opening ceremony for the 12th assembly in the presence of newly elected members, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Governor U Sang-ho and provincial education superintendent Kang Sam-yeong.
Members from both parties, their faces flushed with anticipation, took their oaths in their own names: "I solemnly swear before the residents that I will faithfully carry out the duties of an assembly member in accordance with my conscience, abiding by laws and regulations, for the enhancement of residents' rights and welfare and the development of the local community. July 6, 2026. Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Assembly Member [name]."
The 12th Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Assembly plans to work closely with residents to address a range of pressing regional issues, including the full establishment of the province's special self-governing status, balanced regional development, economic recovery for ordinary people and securing future growth engines.
A celebratory reception followed the opening ceremony, marking the launch of the 12th assembly and reaffirming the commitment to cooperation between provincial administration and education.
With Monday's opening, the 12th Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Assembly begins four years of legislative activity.
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