A media outlet reported on the 13th that on Hangul Day, October 9, about 20 employees went hiking on Cheonjangsan Mountain... Seongbuk-gu explained it was a 'holiday hike' and 'multi-use facility inspection' on the day
Seung-ro Lee, Mayor of Seongbuk District (right), is creating his companion plant at the "Making My Companion Plant" event held on October 7. This photo is not related to the article.
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seung-ro Lee, the mayor of Seongbuk-gu, who was criticized for hiking Cheonjangsan Mountain with about 20 employees on Hangul Day, October 9, has drawn attention by stating that the facts are different.
One media outlet reported that on October 9, when Seoul city had banned gatherings of more than 10 people and erected barricades at Gwanghwamun Square, Mayor Lee went hiking with about 20 employees, putting him in an awkward position.
In particular, the media raised concerns that a local government head leading group activities such as hiking or dinners during the Hangul Day holiday, amid fears of a resurgence of COVID-19, might be against the government's quarantine guidelines.
However, Seongbuk-gu Office clarified that Mayor Lee's 'holiday hike' on that day was not true and explained it was a 'multi-use facility inspection.'
Since February, following the domestic spread of COVID-19, Seongbuk-gu has maintained an emergency response system, and accordingly, whenever situations related to residents' safety arise, they have been conducting 24-hour on-site dispatch, inspection, and response.
For example, during the Chuseok holiday, on September 30, due to sudden heavy rain, sediment flowed into nearby roads and sewage, and sediment deposits in the streambed caused a drop in underwater oxygen levels in Seongbukcheon Stream, resulting in the death of thousands of fish.
Accordingly, on the morning of October 1, about 70 to 80 people, including duty officers at the comprehensive situation room, emergency duty teams, mobile teams, and relevant department staff, were urgently deployed for post-treatment.
Also, during this Hangul Day holiday, not only on the 9th but also on the last day, the 11th, there was a Seongbukcheon Stream cleanup. At that time, Mayor Lee spent more than an hour cleaning algae in Seongbukcheon Stream.
Mayor Seung-ro Lee of Seongbuk-gu is known for his field-oriented administration.
From this perspective, the multi-use facility inspection at Cheonjangsan on the 9th was conducted to check the increased usage by residents and facility complaints in the area following the opening of the Joseon Royal Tomb Forest Trail (including the Uireung Cheonjangsan forest trail in Seongbuk-gu and the Donggureung forest trail in Guri on the 6th) and the government's plan to ease social distancing.
About 20 employees from the Autonomous Administration Division, Administrative Support Division, and Public Relations Team attended the inspection, and residents met on-site as well.
In particular, Cheonjangsan is a low hill adjacent to Uireung, and it was explained that the term 'hiking' is less appropriate than 'walking trail.' The main users are pregnant women, couples with babies, and elderly people.
Regarding the media's criticism about the absence of the Park and Greenery Division, it was explained that the Greenery Division conducted a prior inspection the day before and reported it to the mayor, who then directly confirmed the site on the 9th.
Seungro Lee, the mayor of Seongbuk-gu, is cleaning and purifying Seongbukcheon with employees on the 11th.
Additionally, after the inspection, to support merchants in Jangwi-seokgwan Wolgok who are suffering severe sales losses due to the COVID-19 resurgence originating from Sarang Jeil Church, Mayor Lee had lunch at the nearby Jangseok Market (since August, all Seongbuk-gu employees have been campaigning to use traditional market restaurants), with 19 participants.
Moreover, all processes complied with social distancing quarantine rules, and the event ended without any further schedule.
Meanwhile, despite this explanation, given that the government was strictly limiting gatherings at Gwanghwamun and focusing all efforts on quarantine, public officials acting as a group are likely to face criticism.
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