Kim Gil-seong, Mayor of Jung-gu, Seoul, Marks 100 Days in Office... Strengthens Communication and Prepares for Smooth Sailing

Building a Strong Administrative Foundation for 'One Team' Jung-gu through Communication... Engaged with 3,300 Residents via Neighborhood Association Meetings, Outreach Sessions, Parent Conferences, and Community Leader Workshops... Established the District's First Conflict Management Team and Launched Mayor's Text Service to Meet Resident Expectations... Department Encouragement and Labor-Management Harmony Confirm Unity with Staff, Ready for Smooth Sailing

District Mayor Kim Gil-seong Communicates with Staff

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Kim Gilsung, Mayor of Jung-gu, Seoul, focused on communication during an autumn night talk salon with 150 community leaders (tongjang), sharing reflections on the past 100 days since taking office. He met with the tongjang who volunteer for the development of Jung-gu, sharing the vision of the 8th local government administration and exchanging opinions to align their direction together.

In his inaugural speech on July 1, Mayor Kim expressed his ambition to “create a better Jung-gu by uniting Jung-gu and fostering communication together.” He emphasized that the residents and the district office are a “one team” with the common goal of ‘Jung-gu development.’ To this end, he dedicated himself to communication and harmony through both meticulous and broad approaches over the past 100 days.

During the first two months, he held resident meetings in each neighborhood and personally visited all 15 neighborhoods, meeting over 1,300 residents. The residents shared their expectations for the 8th local government and local issues. A total of 133 proposals were received, and those feasible were immediately implemented.

At the Gwanghui-dong resident meeting on July 20, a request was made to expand the play area within Ssangnim Children’s Park in Mukjeong-dong. The district office judged it feasible and promptly executed the plan. The central flower bed was removed to secure play space, and additional playground equipment was installed. On October 17, the residents’ wish will come true. The newly renovated children’s park is expected to become a new resting place for residents.

Mayor Kim is focusing on urban redevelopment with the goal of revitalizing aging residential areas through deregulation.

In particular, he is conducting “visiting resident briefings” to provide development information in an easy and accurate manner. This is to prevent situations where information is shared only with certain groups, causing disadvantages to other residents or stalling projects.

So far, 1,500 residents have participated in four briefing sessions, showing enthusiastic responses. The secret to their popularity is that these sessions serve as a large communication channel with residents, clearly resolving all their questions about redevelopment.

The briefings also feature a unique BI (brand identity). Nine communication brand designs have been launched, with a patent application planned for October. Going forward, five more visiting briefings and five visiting academies are planned to meet with over 2,000 residents.

Conflicts inevitably arise during district administration. To actively mediate and resolve these, the district office established a conflict management team in August?the first among basic local governments. This team will professionally and systematically coordinate conflicts that commonly occur between communities, such as redevelopment, parking, noise, and waste disposal.

Starting from the 11th, a communication text message service with the mayor will also be launched. Residents can send suggestions or complaints about daily inconveniences via text to the mayor and receive prompt responses. From major policy projects to minor daily civil complaints, the mayor will personally address and resolve residents’ concerns efficiently.

To make policy decisions related to education, opinions from parents are also being gathered. Since September, 13 meetings have been held, with six more planned by the end of October, aiming to meet a total of 300 parents. These meetings are conducted in small groups of 10 to 20 parents to enable more sincere and in-depth conversations.

Despite a busy schedule, Mayor Kim visits departments at 4 p.m. carrying snacks to have informal conversations and encourage staff. Through these chats, he learns about the difficulties employees face on the ground.

An emotional camping site has also been created in the district office plaza. Sitting on camping chairs on the lawn allows staff to recharge briefly, which has been well received.

Organizational restructuring and personnel transfers have been carried out to enable each employee to fully utilize their abilities. Capable executives who will bring hopeful changes to the district have also been recruited, boosting staff morale.

Mayor Kim and the Jung-gu branch of the Public Officials Labor Union signed a business agreement for integrity. This is based on the conviction that labor-management harmony builds mutual trust, which in turn fosters a culture of integrity.

Mayor Kim Gilsung said, “The 100 days since taking office have been a precious time to share the philosophy and vision of the 8th local government with residents and to set the direction for the next four years of district administration. I am ready to move forward with the belief that we are one with the staff and residents. Now, I will devote myself to creating a new Jung-gu.”