Minho Choi: "Sejong, the Administrative Capital, Must Lead and Embody the Spirit of the Times"

Published 03 Nov.2025 14:41(KST)

At Employee Communication Day, Mayor Stresses Thorough Preparation for Next Year’s Projects

At this month's Employee Communication Day event, Mayor Minho Choi of Sejong City is giving a speech. Photo by Operations Support Division

Minho Choi, Mayor of Sejong City, emphasized that "the rise and fall of a nation throughout history has always hinged on whether its leader embodies the spirit of the times," and urged public officials to take a responsible attitude in realizing this ideal.

At the Employee Communication Day event held on November 3, Mayor Choi stressed, "In this unpredictable era of artificial intelligence (AI), what we need most is a leader with the right spirit of the times and public officials who act with responsibility."

He elaborated, "The fate of a nation has always depended on whether its leader possessed the spirit of the times appropriate to that era," adding, "It is the public officials who turn the leader's vision into reality."

He explained that at the historical turning point from an agrarian society to an industrial one, agricultural powerhouses such as China and India were overtaken by emerging industrial nations like the United Kingdom and Japan because their leaders lacked the spirit of the times required for change.

Mayor Choi emphasized, "If we do not prepare in advance for the mindset and direction needed in a new era, we can quickly become obsolete." He added, "As the administrative capital, Sejong must lead the development of Korea by being the first to embrace and put into practice the spirit of the times."

He further stated that for the leader's proper spirit of the times to become a reality, public officials must act with responsibility, and he asked everyone to do their utmost in preparing next year's budget and projects.

He said, "Although this year has been particularly eventful, I am reassured by the fact that all of you are riding this great and powerful wave with a sense of responsibility." He continued, "Let us carry the spirit of the times and move forward with responsibility for our citizens until the very end of the remaining two months of this year."