[Interview] Ryoo Kyung-gi, Jungnang-gu Mayor: "We Will Further Enhance Jungnang Residents' Pride as Growth Becomes Visible in Education, Housing Development, Economy, and Culture"

District Mayor Ryu's First 100 Days in Office of the 8th Term: "A Time to Gather Residents' Opinions and Share Vision," Plans to Launch Full-Scale Activities

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “It was a valuable time to gather residents' opinions, devise concrete action plans for the pledges, and share the vision for the 8th term of the local government.”

Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, who succeeded in re-election following the 7th term, recently shared his thoughts on the 100th day since his inauguration for the 8th term on the 8th.

Mayor Ryu’s first approvals in the 8th term were the “Plan to establish the 2nd Bang Jeong-hwan Education Support Center and double the education budget,” the “Plan to enact an ordinance for revitalizing Jungnang-gu’s civil society,” and the “Expansion and revitalization of specialized shopping streets.”

Above all, to nurture the future of Jungnang, he prioritized education policies to create a city ranked first in public education satisfaction, and aimed to build a cooperative governance where residents are the owners based on communication with civil society. Additionally, he intended to energize the local economy by revitalizing neighborhood commercial districts throughout the area, which is why these three items were his first approvals.

Mayor Ryu pledged, “During the 7th term, we sowed seeds and laid the foundation in education and economic sectors. Over the next four years, we will focus even more and deliver visible results to repay the trust of our residents.”

Building on the achievements of the past four years, Mayor Ryu expressed his ambition to leap forward even more vigorously in the next four years. One constant in his 8th term is the early morning cleaning. He has continued the early morning cleaning more than 100 times during the 7th term and has resumed holding a broom in his hand to sweep every corner of the alleys, starting the mornings of Jungnang with the residents. Mayor Ryu explained the reason for continuously carrying out early morning cleaning: “Cleaning every corner of the area, though difficult, is rewarding, and it is a meaningful and precious time because I can directly hear the voices of residents on site.”

Mayor Ryu, who bases his administration on field-oriented governance and communication with residents, has also steadily conducted more than 30 “Jungnang Masil” visits to senior centers, traditional markets, and other sites to communicate with residents during the first 100 days of his term. He has visited project sites for all 16 administrative neighborhoods to directly inspect issues and held resident meetings to share the vision for the 8th term.

Mayor Ryu stated, “The most important task during the first 100 days after inauguration was to confirm the path forward for the 8th term and to revise the pledges by receiving suggestions from residents and experts on the pledge projects, which are promises to the residents that must be kept.”

The “Happy Jungnang Vision Committee,” launched to establish the 8th term pledge projects and review their feasibility, had residents directly review 125 projects and make 137 suggestions. On the 4th, the Jungnang Vision Roundtable was held, gathering 140 residents from various sectors to discuss the future vision and policy proposals for the seven major visions of the 8th term, including “Hopeful Future Education City Jungnang” and “Rapid Residential Environment Improvement through Redevelopment.”

In particular, the construction of a youth-exclusive cultural and artistic creation center received strong support from residents, and there were active proposals for expanding customized senior jobs and supporting the fashion sewing industry. At this event, Mayor Ryu said, “The process of creating a happy future and a new Jungnang together with Jungnang residents is precious and meaningful, and we will reopen the future of Jungnang according to the will of the residents.”

Having actively communicated with residents through early morning cleaning and Jungnang Masil, Mayor Ryu established a “Direct Text Complaint Window to the Mayor” to further expand communication channels at the start of the 8th term.

Additionally, during the first 100 days after inauguration, he operated “Jungnang Ongdalsaem,” which provides cool drinking water to beat the heat, continuing from last year. He also opened the 4th and 5th branches of the Our Neighborhood Care Center for working families and Jungnang-gu’s first public indoor playground, striving to ensure that children in Jungnang grow up safely and happily.

Furthermore, after creating specialized streets in Taereung Market and Sangbong Food Alley, these were registered as alley-type shopping districts to revitalize the local economy. At Mangwoo History and Culture Park, a treasure trove of modern and contemporary history, events such as the August 15 Liberation Day commemorative concert, the 102nd anniversary memorial for activist Yu Gwan-sun, and the Mangwoo Starlight Film Festival were held to honor the spirits of ancestors and develop the park into a landmark where high-quality cultural arts can be enjoyed.

Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi of Jungnang-gu emphasized, “During the first 100 days after the inauguration of the 8th term, we gathered the will of the residents regarding the direction and process Jungnang-gu should take over the next four years. We will visualize Jungnang’s growth in areas such as education, housing development, economy, and culture to further enhance the pride of Jungnang residents.”