[Interview] Kim Young-jong, Mayor of Jongno-gu, "Efforts to Create a 'Prestige City' Marked by Presidential Award"

2020 Service Quality Index Survey Presidential Award Winner Followed by '5th Korea Crime Prevention Awards' First Presidential Award for Autonomous District, Honored with Presidential Award at Local Autonomy Management Competition

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Jongno-gu is attracting attention as it reaps the fruits of "premium administration," including winning the Presidential Award in the "2020 Service Quality Index Survey." Kim Young-jong, the district mayor, said in a recent interview, "It feels even more valuable because it is the result evaluated by the residents," and added, "In the remaining term of the 7th local government, I will complete a 'people-centered premium city' with the trust and support received so far."

Jongno-gu also ranked first among the 25 autonomous districts of Seoul in the "2020 Service Quality Index (KS-SQI)" survey conducted by the Korea Standards Association. Mayor Kim said, "It is thanks to the staff who have worked hard to implement an administration that is fully trusted by the residents." Additionally, on October 28, Jongno-gu was honored as the first autonomous district to receive the Presidential Award at the "5th Korea Crime Prevention Awards" hosted by the National Police Agency. Furthermore, in September this year, it also received the Presidential Award at the "16th Korea Local Autonomy Management Competition" based on the achievements of the Donui-dong Saetteul Village Project.

Mayor Kim stated, "We have promoted various projects in the Donui-dong shantytown area to support the self-sufficiency and independence of shantytown residents and to enable them to live a humane life," adding, "As part of this, the Crime Prevention Environmental Design project involved installing a total of 19 types of facilities in the area and improving the environment safely." Through such strenuous efforts for crime prevention, the district succeeded in reducing the occurrence of the five major crimes by 26% over the past nine months compared to the previous year.

Moreover, on the 18th of last month, Jongno-gu won the Prime Minister's Award at the "2020 Second Half Active Administration Competition," jointly hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Personnel Management, for the case of the "Inwangsan Guard Post Bookstore." Mayor Kim explained, "The Inwangsan Guard Post Bookstore is a case where a guard post building, where police forces were stationed for protection after the 1968 Kim Shin-jo incident, was reborn as a resting space for citizens." Since Inwangsan was fully opened in 2018, the number of visiting citizens increased, but due to regulations such as military control zones and urban natural park zones, new construction was difficult. Therefore, Jongno-gu focused on the fact that the area around the police guard post has beautiful mountain terrain and good views, and pursued a plan to 'regenerate' it for citizens instead of 'demolishing' it over three years. As a result, a guard post bookstore accessible to all citizens was opened on the Inwangsan foothill trail.

Mayor Kim said, "We will not be satisfied with the award results but will continuously discover and promote large and small projects that can improve residents' satisfaction with life," adding, "We plan to calmly respond to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on residents' happiness and safety and wrap up this year." He concluded, "To achieve the changes that residents desire in Jongno, we will not lose the original intention of 'starting small and slow, but doing it properly.'"