Yoo Jeong-bok
Yoo Jeong-bok is a South Korean politician who has served as the mayor of Incheon since 2022. A member of the People Power Party, Yoo previously held the office from 2014 to 2018.
Life
Yoo Jeong-bok was born on 17 June 1957, in Songrim-dong of Dong District, Incheon. His parents were Internally displaced person from Cheongdan area, Hwanghae ProvinceHe passed the civil service exam in his last year of college. After serving in the military, he became a public servant. In 1994, he was appointed a mayor of Gimpo County. He agreed absorption of Geomdan Myeon into Incheon and appointed as a mayor of Seo District, Incheon, which absorbed Geomdan Myeon. In 1995, South Korea expanded local autonomy. He resigned to run for 1995 South Korean local elections and elected as a mayor of Gimpo County. In 1998, Gimpo County was promoted to Gimpo. He served two terms for Mayor of Gimpo. After the loss in 2002 South Korean local elections, he was elected as a member of the National Assembly to represent Gimpo three times since 2004. In 2014, he resigned his seat in the National Assembly to run for Mayor of Incheon and was elected. He lost in the 2018 elections but was elected in 2022.
On 31 August 2022, he announced administrative reorganization plans for Incheon. Geomdan will become a new separate District from Seo District. Old downtown area of Jung District and Dong District will be merged into Jemulpo District and Yeongjong-Yongyu will be an independent Yeongjong District. Mayors of Jung, Dong and Seo District agreed this proposal.
On April 9, 2025, Yoo, a member of the People Power Party, announced his candidacy for the 2025 South Korean presidential election, saying he would "pave the way for proper national unity." He lost in the party primaries.