Term of 1 Year and 3 Months, Mayor Oh Se-hoon Commutes from Home Instead of Official Residence

Decided Not to Operate Diplomatic Missions to Save Budget and Amid Difficult Social Atmosphere Due to COVID-19

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is holding a press briefing on COVID-19 at Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 12th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 12th that it will not operate the Seoul Mayor's official residence during the tenure of Mayor Oh Se-hoon.

This decision was made in consideration of the fact that many citizens are experiencing difficulties due to COVID-19, and Mayor Oh Se-hoon expressed his intention to commute from his private residence without using the official residence. Initially, the Seoul Metropolitan Government had considered leasing an official residence in line with the inauguration of the 38th Mayor of Seoul.

The official residence has been operated not just as a residential space but as a public space to ensure stable mayoral duties without spatial or temporal gaps and to host important domestic and international guests. By not operating the official residence, the city can save on leasing fees and operating expenses.

During the 2009 global financial crisis, the Seoul Metropolitan Government also changed the under-construction Hannam-dong mayoral residence into ‘Partners House,’ a business-exclusive space for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to provide practical support to struggling SMEs, and it has been operating as such since then.

Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated, “I will take the lead in waste-free city administration,” and added, “I will prioritize policies that care for citizens who are in hardship and suffering.”