Kang Tae-woong, Seoul Deputy Mayor for Administration, to Run for Seoul Yongsan General Election

On the morning of the 15th, Deputy Mayor Kang expressed his intention to resign, stating, "I now accept the calling of politics as my own responsibility," during a phone call with reporters.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Kang Tae-woong, the First Deputy Mayor of Seoul, will resign on the 16th to run for Yongsan in the 21st general election.

On the 15th, Deputy Mayor Kang told reporters, “I now intend to accept the calling of politics as my own responsibility. With the on-the-ground experience and innovative stamina cultivated in Seoul, I want to devote my entire life to uncovering the hidden potential of Yongsan, the heart of Seoul.”

Deputy Mayor Kang graduated from Yongsan Middle and High School, entered Seoul National University, passed the 33rd Administrative Examination, began his public service career in Seoul City, and rose through key positions such as Director of Administration, Spokesperson, and Director of Planning and Coordination Office to become the First Deputy Mayor, a vice-ministerial level position, recognized as a top expert in policy.

Highly regarded for these qualifications, Kang, who had been contemplating after receiving a recent request from the Democratic Party of Korea to run in the April 15 general election, announced his intention to resign to run for the 21st general election.

In particular, with Jin Nyeom, the Minister of the Interior and Safety and the incumbent Yongsan district lawmaker, declaring he would not run in the 21st general election, Kang, who has ties to the Yongsan area and was recruited as a strategic candidate, was brought in.

However, Deputy Mayor Kang agonized over the decision to enter politics for about a week.

Kang said, “I am leaving the beloved Seoul City, where I have served for over 30 years, to start a new journey in politics.” He added, “For the past 30 years, I have observed citizens’ lives through the eyes of an administrator and listened to their voices with the ears of an administrator. I have tackled Seoul’s challenges by running on the ground with the feet of an administrator.”

He also mentioned that during this time, he received proposals both inside and outside the party asking him, as the person who knows Seoul and Yongsan best, to step forward to resolve various issues in Yongsan such as the creation of Yongsan Park, deteriorated housing, and the establishment of future industrial hubs, and to discover future potential.

Deputy Mayor Kang said, “Of course, I had many concerns. Politics is an unfamiliar path and a new stage I have never experienced. Even at this moment, I feel a sense of emptiness and fear as if embarking on a solitary journey.” He called Yongsan “my roots and starting point, where I grew up during my childhood and school days.”

He also stated, “As the Deputy Mayor, I have been responsible for one axis of Seoul’s administration and have continued to consider specific issues related to Yongsan, which embraces both Korea’s history and future potential.”

Kang said, “The people who made me hesitate the most before deciding to walk the new path of politics were none other than my colleagues in Seoul City, and I feel sorry for the sudden decision.”

Deputy Mayor Kang will hold a retirement ceremony on the 16th and officially begin his campaign for the April 15 general election.

◆ Profile of Deputy Mayor Kang Tae-woong (姜泰雄)

△ Date of Birth: August 29, 1963

◇ Education

△ Graduated from Yongsan High School (’82) △ Bachelor’s in German Language and Literature, Seoul National University (’86) △ Master’s in Public Policy, Graduate School of Public Administration, Seoul National University (’92)

△ Master’s in Public Administration, University of Oregon Graduate School (’05) △ Completed doctoral coursework in Urban Administration, University of Seoul Graduate School (’11)

◇ Major Career

△ Passed the 33rd Administrative Examination in 1989 △ 2007 Seoul City Media Officer △ 2008 Seoul City Administrative Director △ 2009 Seoul City Planning Officer △ 2010 Seoul City Health Planning Officer △ June 1, 2011 Seoul City Policy Planning Officer △ March 5, 2014 Seoul City Tourism Planning Officer △ July 1, 2015 Seoul City Administrative Director △ January 1, 2017 Seoul City Spokesperson △ January 1, 2018 Head of Seoul City Economic Promotion Headquarters △ July 1, 2018 Acting Director of Seoul City Planning and Coordination Office △ August 17, 2018 Director of Seoul City Planning and Coordination Office △ May 1, 2019 Acting First Deputy Mayor of Seoul △ June 7, 2019 First Deputy Mayor of Seoul

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◆ Statement on Resignation by First Deputy Mayor Kang Tae-woong

Hello, I am Kang Tae-woong, First Deputy Mayor of Seoul.

I am leaving the beloved Seoul City, where I have served for over 30 years, to start a new journey in politics.

For the past 30 years, I have observed citizens’ lives through the eyes of an administrator and listened to their voices with the ears of an administrator.

I have tackled Seoul’s challenges by running on the ground with the feet of an administrator.

In particular, I was mainly responsible for Seoul City’s policy planning, laying the foundation for innovation and drawing Seoul’s future blueprint, which brought me great fulfillment and achievement.

On the other hand, it is also true that I felt a thirst that could not be fully quenched by administration alone.

In a corner of my heart, there has always been a thirst for new politics that heals citizens’ pain and responds to diverse life aspirations.

Meanwhile, I received proposals from both inside and outside the party asking me, as the person who knows Seoul and Yongsan best, to step forward to resolve various issues in Yongsan such as the creation of Yongsan Park, deteriorated housing, and the establishment of future industrial hubs, and to discover future potential.

Of course, I had many concerns.

Politics is an unfamiliar path and a new stage I have never experienced.

Even at this moment, I feel a sense of emptiness and fear as if embarking on a solitary journey.

However, as I continued to deliberate, I reached one conviction.

At this time when pragmatic, field-oriented politics is in high demand, the 30 years of experience accumulated in Seoul, the laboratory of innovation,

and the field and communication sensitivity trained in a city of ten million citizens are the virtues most needed in our politics today.

Yongsan is my roots and starting point, where I grew up during my childhood and school days.

As Deputy Mayor, I have been responsible for one axis of Seoul’s administration and have continued to consider specific issues related to Yongsan, which embraces both Korea’s history and future potential.

And now, I want to accept the calling of politics as my own responsibility.

With the on-the-ground experience and innovative stamina cultivated in Seoul, I want to devote my entire life to uncovering the hidden potential of Yongsan, the heart of Seoul.

The people who made me hesitate the most before deciding to walk the new path of politics were none other than my colleagues in Seoul City.

I feel sorry for the sudden decision.

Going forward, the fact that I am from Seoul City will be a source of confidence for me.

I promise to do my best and live with dignity in the new environment so that the pride I have maintained as a Seoul City public official will not be compromised.

Thank you.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.