section_path: Mayor of Seongnam (2010–2018)
section_name: Mayor of Seongnam (2010–2018)
paragraph_text: Mayor of Seongnam (2010–2018)
  
  He ran for the mayoralty of Seongnam in the 2010 South Korean local elections under the Democratic Party, and won with 51.16% of the vote against Hwang Jun-gi.
  
  In his inaugural speech as the 19th mayor of Seongnam, he stated "It will not be easy to take a new step in Seongnam. If it's hard, let's take a break. Let's take care of each other's shoulders and smile, step by step. We can do it. Let's emphasize Seongnam, where citizens are the leaders, citizens are happy, and our Seongnam, where opportunities are equal." He started by moving the mayor's office to a narrower space after allowing the former mayor's office, which caused controversy over its luxury, to become a book cafe.
  
  He also declared a moratorium on spending and debt repayment in his first press conference, due to the city being in large debt (though the debt has never been actively collected on). The first of this was the 520 billion won owed to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport over the construction of the Pangyo project; he thereafter attempted to renegotiate the debt owed, and paid it off with a large amount municipal bonds. He also attracted attention due to his active use of social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, often expressing his views on national issues bluntly on the two services. A particular stunt involving him installing CCTV in the mayoral office gained fame, with him claiming that "many people were bringing in money envelopes."
  
  He also restructured and focused on the welfare policy of the city. In particular focus was funding of the Seongnam Medical Center, which he began to strengthen. He also promoted free school uniforms for students. Along with that, he established a "youth dividend" system, acting as a form of Universal Basic Income for young citizens.
  
  He won re-election in the 2014 South Korean local elections, winning 55.1% of the vote.
  
  Lee is noted for his decision to ban dog meat and to shut down dog slaughtering facilities in Moran Market. The dog slaughtering facilities had long been a subject of heated debate over their morality, the rights of animals, and their environmental impact. In 2016, Lee, an animal rights advocate, signed an agreement with shop owners that prohibited the display and slaughter of live dogs at the market. The city helped business owners transition to other businesses, but did not offer any direct compensation for their closure.
  
  Lee heavily criticized the response of Park Geun-hye to the Sinking of MV Sewol. He also held an 11-day fast in response to plans by Park to reorganize local government's fiscal responsibilities, which would've severely hurt Buddhist groups across the country, including those in Seongnam. By the time he had finished his term as mayor of the city, a survey showcased he had implemented 270 of 287 total promises, including the construction and expansion of the Seongnam Medical Center, a youth dividend policy, and the free student uniform program. In total, he had a 94.1% promise fulfillment rate.
  
  Several of the policies introduced by Lee, such as the youth dividend, would go on to become his premier framework in national politics.