Yangcheon District Mayor Kim Soo-young's Philosophy of Empathy and Communication in District Administration Shines Again

Listening to Parents' Opinions Opposing Designation of Green Smart Future School, Efforts to Convey Public Sentiment... Mokdong Elementary Parents Send Thanks to Yangcheon-gu for Active Communication and Collaborative Consideration

Yangcheon District Mayor Kim Soo-young is communicating and listening to opinions from the parent representative group of Mokdong Elementary School in the mayor's office on the 3rd.

Yangcheon District Mayor Kim Soo-young is meeting with Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon on the 6th to convey residents' opinions related to the Green Smart Future School.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “Sufficient empathy comes first.”

On the 3rd, Kim Su-young, Mayor of Yangcheon District, nodded and said this during a meeting with parents of Mokdong Elementary School who opposed the selection of the Green Smart Future School by the Office of Education.

He emphasized that no matter how excellent a policy is, it is difficult to promote without sufficient empathy. Having worked extensively in the field and listened to public opinion while promoting policies, Mayor Kim paid close attention to the parents' voices more than anyone else.

The Green Smart Future School is a project promoted by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to rebuild or renovate school buildings that are over 40 years old. Last year, the project plan was announced, and in August, 93 schools for reconstruction and 120 schools for remodeling were finally selected and announced. However, designated schools such as Mokdong Elementary School requested withdrawal from the project and expressed opposition complaints.

Parents of Mokdong Elementary School, built in 1974 and selected for reconstruction this time, raised concerns about the lack of parental opinion hearing during the project promotion process and safety issues regarding the learning environment for children if reconstruction work proceeds. A condolence wreath was installed on the school wall as a sign of protest, and a petition campaign was also conducted.

Mayor Kim Su-young empathized with the difficulty of promoting this project, which over 80% of parents oppose. On the 3rd, he held a meeting with a delegation of parents to fully listen to their opinions, and on the 6th, he met directly with Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon to request withdrawal of the designation.

Eventually, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education officially announced the withdrawal of the designation on the 16th. The Office of Education's position is to actively listen to parents' opinions, suspend the promotion, and undergo a deliberation period.

Park Sun-im, a member of the Emergency Countermeasures Committee of Mokdong Elementary School, expressed sincere gratitude to Yangcheon District for actively communicating, sharing concerns, and conveying public sentiment to the Office of Education during the designation withdrawal process.

Mayor Kim Su-young of Yangcheon District said, “Knowing well the heart of parents who want to raise their children well, my steps reached the Office of Education,” adding, “As the saying goes, ‘It takes a whole village to raise a child,’ I will always fulfill the role of communication so that parents, schools, and the Office of Education can cooperate and gather opinions together.”