PALISADES PARK — It was a historic night, as the borough's first Korean-American mayor was sworn into office.

Over 200 people packed the high school auditorium Wednesday night to watch Christopher Chung be sworn in by Gov. Phil Murphy. Chung's running mates, Jongchul Lee and Paul Chong Kim, were also sworn in.

Chung also became the first Korean-American mayor in Bergen County, according to John Hogan, Bergen County Clerk.

In a town where more than half of the nearly 20,000 residents are of Korean heritage, Murphy said the night was historic.

"This is an iconic community, not only in Bergen County, but the entire state of New Jersey," Murphy said. "This is a big moment in this community and in New Jersey. The Korean-American community is exploding in the state and particularly in Bergen County. It's a badge of honor and I'm proud to be here."

After swearing in Chung, the governor headed to Tenafly to swear in his gubernatorial rival Mark Zinna, a former Borough Council president who was elected to the council again in November. Zinna finished sixth in the Democratic primary for governor in 2017.

Murphy noted Wednesday that along with Chung, Andy Kim was scheduled to be sworn in Thursday as the first Asian-American to the house of representatives, representing New Jersey's third congressional district.

Last year, when Chung planned to run against longtime Democratic mayor James Rotundo, his intentions were to progressively move the town forward and to represent the Korean population. Instead, the move divided the town and led to a contentious primary, a series of racist social media postings, packed council meetings and rallies throughout the town.

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Chung vowed Wednesday night to unite the borough and bring back the pride to Palisades Park for everyone.

"Tonight we will begin the work of building one united Palisades Park. We will start to put residents first when we make decisions and we will build strong and inclusive opportunities together," Chung said. "It will require all of us to participate and need a collective effort between residents and elected officials."

Other goals for the town included sensible tax spending, safety, better education and economic growth, but the message Chung drove home was creating a new united front to move forward.

Chung also said that in the coming weeks he will work with the council to be unified and promised that he will restore residents' faith in local government.

His comments come after a tumultuous year where race wasn't the only dividing issue in Palisades Park.

What started out as a "good intention" after the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killed 17 people — a shared service agreement was created between the town and Board of Education to put armed retired police officers in the schools.

The program quickly unraveled after news reports that resulted in the Board of Education firing its attorney, the program being terminated, and an investigation that largely blamed Chief of Police Mark Jackson for several missteps.

An independent review, ordered by the Board of Education on the inception of a school security program and shared service agreement with the town, confirmed results of an investigation by NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network New Jersey.

In the new year, Chung hopes to revisit the program and work together again with the Board of Education. He said he's already in discussions with the board on how to move forward.

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"My vision is for a better Palisades Park and not for a privileged and select few, but for every single man, woman and child regardless of color, creed, political affiliation, or religion," Chung said. "We will put our differences aside and come together and I'm asking you to join me today."

Email: cattafi@northjersey.com