Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon's inauguration ceremony on Wednesday was anything but traditional, with the former activist taking the role of TV show host as he guided a camera through his office, bathroom and other private spaces in an unprecedented online-only broadcast without a gathering of people.
Three weeks after the opposition-backed independent won the October by-election, Park, 55, was formally sworn into office with a pledge to make the capital city with a population of 10.6 million a "welfare city."
"Welfare is not charity, but rights given to people," Park said during a live broadcast in his office, standing in front of a wall covered with some 300 Post-it notes scrawled with messages from citizens.
During the 40-minute live broadcast, Park walked through corridors of City Hall, showing the crew around his office, introducing his secretaries and revealing his privy spaces such as a bedroom and shower room. He also used his iPad to read out congratulatory messages that ordinary people -- students, office workers, small retailers and retirees -- sent him over the social networking site Twitter.
Instead of holding a grandiose event with prominent figures and politicians in attendance, Park said he decided to introduce himself and his policy pledges in such an unprecedented way to save money and more closely communicate with citizens. It is the first time in South Korea that a local government head has broadcast his or her swearing-in live online.
People watched the ceremony via the city government's official website, major portals and free online streaming websites.
Park, formerly a dedicated civic activist and human rights lawyer, also vowed to listen humbly to ordinary people.
"I will work hard until my hair becomes bald like this," the thinning, bespectacled mayor said as he showed two caricatures depicting him before and after his mayoral term. "I'm standing here on behalf of citizens. I will work with citizens. I will always ask to hear from citizens."
Park will serve out his predecessor Oh Se-hoon's remaining tenure of two and a half years. Former mayor Oh quit in late August after he failed to downsize a free school lunch program in the city's first-ever referendum.
As for Park, to cap off his inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, he headed downtown to meet people on the streets. (Yonhap)