[Interview] Lee Dong-jin, Dobong-gu Mayor: "Creating a Sustainable Development City, an 'Innovative Education City,' and a 'Human Rights City Where Residents Are Happy'"

"Close cooperation between central and local governments is necessary for sustainable development tasks, and local governments must realize and formalize them through concrete systems and policies," it was stated.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] “Sustainability is not an option but an essential obligation and important responsibility that the current generation owes to future generations.”

This is the statement of Lee Dong-jin, Mayor of Dobong-gu, who serves as the Chairperson of the Sustainable Development Local Governments Council.

Mayor Lee currently holds four major positions simultaneously, including Chairperson of the Innovative Education Local Governments Council, Chairperson of the Korean Human Rights Cities Council, and Chairperson of the Seoul Mayors’ Council.

Dobong-gu was selected as a United Nations (UN) University 'Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE)' on Sustainable Development Education on January 13 this year, becoming the first autonomous district in Seoul to receive this designation.

Currently, the district is promoting all administrative matters such as climate environment, education and culture, health and welfare, economic industry, and institutional administration in connection with sustainable development to create a Dobong where people and nature coexist and everyone wants to live.

Mayor Lee told the reporter, “For sustainable development tasks, close cooperation between the central and local governments is necessary, and it is important for local governments to realize and formalize these through concrete systems and policies.”

Dobong-gu established the 'Sustainable Development Team' in 2012 and has been implementing projects such as climate change response, reducing one nuclear power plant, Green Start, Agenda 21, and the spread of renewable energy. Starting with the enactment of the Dobong-gu Sustainable Development Ordinance in 2015, the first in the nation, the district launched the Sustainable Development Committee in 2016, established dedicated departments, set up committees, formulated implementation plans, and trained personnel through sustainable development education.

As a result, from 2017 to 2019, Dobong-gu was selected as an excellent institution for the 'Sustainable Development Award' hosted by the Ministry of Environment for three consecutive years and also won the 'Korea Urban Award' for sustainable infrastructure from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for three consecutive years.

In particular, the 'Dobong-dong Anti-Tank Defense Facility Space Regeneration Project (Peace Culture Base)' in 2017 was the only project among basic local governments nationwide to receive the Minister of Environment Award. In 2018, the 'Banghakcheon Cultural and Arts Street (Bangyeri) Project' received the Minister of Environment Award, and in 2019, the 'Dobong with Multiple Values Created Together ? Establishment of the District’s Sustainable Development Implementation Plan and Indicators through Public-Private Cooperation' was selected as an excellent case.

Mayor Lee said, “Looking ahead, I believe it is important to strengthen the foundation of local government activities through the development of sustainable development project manuals, content, and educational materials that can be commonly applied by other local governments,” expressing his commitment to sustainable development.

Among the policies that Mayor Lee considers important for sustainable development is 'innovative education.'

This is because nurturing talents equipped with the knowledge and skills required by future society is paramount for sustainable development in a changing era.

Mayor Lee said, “I think the task given to us is how to build a sustainable system in innovative education,” and emphasized, “To build a sustainable system, it is important for the governance of village education to be formed and cooperate at the eup, myeon, dong level?the daily living area units of children and youth?by parents, youth, local residents, community centers, schools, and public institutions.” This is because the residents living in the village know better than anyone else about the educational agendas needed in the village where children live.

In this regard, Dobong-gu has been implementing the village education community project by dong since 2017, establishing educational governance at the daily living area units of children and youth. Currently, 14 dong-level education forums are held to discover and implement local educational agendas together with residents, progressing the future-oriented educational autonomy cooperation district project called 'Neighborhood Center.'

Mayor Lee said, “Organic cooperation between general autonomy and educational autonomy is necessary in innovative education,” and raised his voice, “All citizens are learners, and all learners have the right to learn. Based on the village education community cooperating with the region, we will create a learner-centered educational ecosystem where life and knowledge coexist.”

He added, “Education must go beyond the school fence and combine with the village, actively supporting children to recognize themselves not only as students of the school but also as one of the agents of the local community and participate.”

Another policy the district promotes is the realization of a sustainable 'human rights city.' The district is striving with the goal of 'Dobong, a warm human rights city created together by citizens.'

Dobong-gu enacted the Dobong-gu Human Rights Basic Ordinance in 2013 and began full-scale human rights policies. In 2017, it established the first basic plan for human rights policy (2018?2020), laying the foundation for human rights administration.

In particular, last year, Dobong-gu fully revised the human rights ordinance (May 2, 2019) and opened the Dobong-gu Human Rights Center (October 31, 2019) as a dedicated organization for human rights violation relief, making efforts to realize a human rights city.

This year, the district is conducting research to prepare the second basic plan for human rights policy (2021?2024) and is conducting a human rights status survey of Dobong residents for this purpose.

Also, from the second half of this year, the district plans to conduct human rights impact assessments to evaluate the potential effects on residents' human rights before enacting or revising local regulations and establishing policies.

Lee Dong-jin, who took office as the second Chairperson of the Korean Human Rights Cities Council in June this year, said, “New human rights issues have emerged in the COVID-19 era, and there are many human rights protection tasks we need to consider.” He expressed his ambition, saying, “To realize the universal value of human rights in the future, we will actively promote joint tasks at the local government level and exchange and cooperation projects with domestic and international institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission and international human rights organizations.”