Why Was Choi Ho-kwon, Yeongdeungpo District Mayor, Praised by the Labor Union?

Yeongdeungpo-gu Union Branch Chief Praises District Mayor Choi Ho-gwon's Respect for Employees in Local Media on the Afternoon of the 8th

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District Office (photo), has become a hot topic after receiving a praise article from the head of the district office labor union branch.

This is somewhat unusual.

Ji Min-su, head of the Yeongdeungpo branch of the Public Officials Labor Union, wrote an article titled "Respect for Employees, Respect for Labor: High Evaluation of Mayor Choi" for the local media on the afternoon of the 8th.

At the beginning, he wrote, "Looking at the mayor's actions so far, he can be called a 'mayor who respects employees and labor.'"

Head Ji stated, "Reflecting the union's demands proposed during the labor-management meeting, we cannot help but evaluate the mayor's will for employee welfare, such as support for employee self-development expenses and additional operation of recreational facilities," and added, "In the union bulletin post titled 'Mayor's Actions' read by 1,041 people on September 1, the union strongly demanded the budget be actively allocated for the psychological and physical recovery of employees, and this was met."

He continued, "The union is also fully aware of the great interest and support from Deputy Mayor Lee In-mo, Administrative Director Yoo Ok-jun, and General Affairs Director Noh Sang-ok regarding employee welfare and education," expressing gratitude for efforts toward cooperative labor-management relations.

The union concluded, "Going forward, the Public Officials Labor Union will refrain from unconditional criticism and condemnation, recognize and widely promote what is done well, clearly point out mistakes, and diligently monitor for corrections," and added, "We hope the executive branch will take special interest and affection to make the workplace a happy place for employees."

In this way, Mayor Choi Ho-kwon of Yeongdeungpo District Office is receiving good evaluations for his excellent character not only from employees but also from Yeongdeungpo residents.

However, there is also a concern that if employees are overly considered and not criticized, their tension may relax, resulting in less 'creative administration' for the residents.

Considering Mayor Choi's character, Yeongdeungpo District Office employees are expected to make utmost efforts to realize a higher level of creative administration.

It is also pointed out that the union should keep in mind that such concerns exist.