Ryugyeonggi Jungnang-gu Mayor's First Schedule: Paying Tribute to Yu Gwansun and Others

[Photo] Jungnang, Seodaemun, and Yangcheon District Mayors' Activities on the 2nd

On the morning of the 2nd, Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, visited Mangwoo History and Culture Park and stood in silent tribute in front of the tomb of activist Yu Gwan-sun.

Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, Pays Tribute to Historical Figures at Mangwoo History and Culture Park on the First Day of the Year of the Rabbit

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, began his first official schedule of the Year of the Rabbit 2023 by visiting Mangwoo History and Culture Park at 7:30 a.m. on the 2nd to pay respects at the graves of notable figures resting in the park and honor their legacy.

Mayor Ryu paid tribute with flower offerings and silent prayers at the graves of independence activist Yu Gwan-sun, Hoam Moon Il-pyeong, and Sofa Bang Jeong-hwan. This visit reflects his commitment to honoring the dedication and contributions of independence activist Yu Gwan-sun and Hoam Moon Il-pyeong, and to widely promoting the historical value embedded in their sacrifices.

It also signifies the intention to carry on the spirit of Sofa Bang Jeong-hwan, who devoted himself to nurturing children as future leaders. Currently, Jungnang-gu is contributing to the advancement of public education by establishing and operating the largest Bang Jeong-hwan Education Support Center among autonomous districts.

Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi said, “It is meaningful to start 2023 by paying respects at Mangwoo History and Culture Park, where numerous patriots and modern historical figures rest,” and added, “In the Year of the Rabbit, we will strive even harder to make Jungnang-gu a newer and happier place and do our best to raise the pride of Jungnang residents.”

Seodaemun-gu Holds ‘One Book Donation per Employee’ Event Instead of New Year Ceremony

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seong-heon) attracted attention by promoting a ‘One Book Donation per Employee’ event on the morning of the first working day of the new year, January 2nd, instead of holding a traditional New Year ceremony.

On this day, employees each donated one book they brought from home. Upon arriving at work, they placed their books on a table set up in the lobby of the government building and exchanged New Year greetings with Mayor Lee Seong-heon.

The approximately 500 books collected will be donated to local public libraries, forest libraries, and small private libraries within the district.

Following the event, Mayor Lee shared the New Year vision for district administration with senior officials during a policy meeting.

Mayor Lee Seong-heon stated, “To achieve tangible changes, we will focus on strengthening regional competitiveness, ensuring residents’ safe daily lives, and rapid growth by district zones as we operate the district administration in 2023,” and added, “We will continue the vision of ‘100% Happiness Seodaemun-gu’ in the new year.”

He also emphasized, “We will do our best to reduce hardships in people’s daily lives and restore the local economy.” To this end, he said, “Following the lifting of the car-free zone on Yonsei-ro last year, we will resume general vehicle traffic from this year and discover and promote various collaborative projects to help the Sinchon commercial district take off again.”

Mayor Lee also mentioned, “We will build a more detailed social safety net through a customized life-care welfare system,” and “We will reorganize the weakened neighborhood leader system to check on and protect the safety of socially vulnerable groups such as single-person households, people with disabilities, and the elderly.” Additionally, he shared plans for creating a ‘childbirth and child-rearing friendly environment,’ including opening a public postpartum care center, newly providing parental benefits, and constructing a comprehensive childcare facility in the Hongje Hong-eun district.

The mayor also revealed plans to focus on improving outdated infrastructure and urban environment, stating, “We will accelerate regional development through projects such as establishing a landmark in northwest Seoul, creating a new Daehak-ro through undergrounding the Gyeongui Line railway, promoting rapid integrated planning for private redevelopment, and providing customized support for various redevelopment and reconstruction projects.” He added, “We will also enhance residents’ quality of life by creating dog walking paths and rest areas, the Ansan clay trail, the Seodaemun Ieumgil specialized forest, and additional waterfront spaces along Hongjecheon and Bulgwangcheon streams.”

Furthermore, Mayor Lee mentioned, “We will realize reliable administrative services directly linked to residents’ happiness through a large-scale organizational restructuring for administrative efficiency, promoting the construction of new community centers in the aging Sinchon-dong and Bukgajwa 2-dong areas, and strengthening online district administration promotion including the official Kakao Channel Talk.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Lee Seong-heon participated in the ‘Countdown Concert’ held on Yonsei-ro in Sinchon around midnight on January 1st and the New Year sunrise event held at Ansan (鞍山) Bongsudae on the same morning, and began full-scale district administration operations for the new year starting with the policy meeting on this day.

On the 2nd at 2 PM, Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon District, is taking a commemorative photo with the recipients of the Madeul Cheongnok Award at the '2023 Nowon District New Year's Ceremony' held in the small auditorium of the 6th office building of the district office.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, Kicks Off the New Year with 2023 Opening Ceremony

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, attended the ‘2023 Nowon-gu Opening Ceremony’ held at 2 p.m. on the 2nd in the small auditorium of the 6th government building.

The ceremony was organized to express gratitude for the hard work of employees so far and to encourage them to remain dedicated to district administration tasks in 2023, allowing all staff to renew their determination.

The event was attended by Mayor Oh Seung-rok, the deputy mayor, directors, the head of the health center, department and neighborhood chiefs, and team leaders. It proceeded with watching a promotional video about district administration, the national ceremony, performances, award presentations, and New Year greetings. Employees watched the event live from their offices.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “I wish all employees a hopeful year in 2023, the Year of the Rabbit (Gyemo-nyeon),” and added, “Let us create a year of further leap forward with a sense of mission that we are part of the historic process of shaping Nowon’s future.”

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, Delivers New Year Address at 2023 Opening Ceremony

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, delivered a New Year address at the opening ceremony held in the annex auditorium of Yeongdeungpo-gu Office on the afternoon of the 2nd, welcoming the hopeful Year of the Rabbit 2023.

The ceremony proceeded with the mayor’s New Year address, viewing of a New Year wish video, and New Year greetings. In his address, Mayor Choi shared the future direction of district administration, announcing the swift promotion of key projects such as reconstruction and redevelopment, revitalization of local commercial districts, and strengthening of hopeful welfare, which will lead Yeongdeungpo’s change and leap forward.

Mayor Choi Ho-kwon stated, “Public officials are servants of the people and representatives of the public interest, and must decide and execute policies for the public good,” and added, “We will continue to open a hopeful future and a happy Yeongdeungpo from the perspective of residents.”

Park Kang-soo, Mayor of Mapo-gu, Holds 2023 Opening Ceremony and Officially Starts the 8th Term

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Kang-soo) held an opening ceremony on the 2nd to mark the start of district administration in 2023, taking a vigorous step toward a ‘New Mapo, Better Mapo’ full of ‘change’ and ‘vitality.’

The ceremony, held at 3 p.m. in the main auditorium of Mapo-gu Office, was attended by Mayor Park Kang-soo, newly appointed Deputy Mayor Lee Gye-yeol, directors, and 480 employees. The program included a New Year address, introduction of the new deputy mayor, and New Year greetings.

Mayor Park Kang-soo opened his speech by saying, “In 2023, the double hardship of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and deepened economic recession is expected to deepen the worries of ordinary people,” and urged, “All public officials in Mapo-gu must accompany socially vulnerable groups and be a strong support.”

He then outlined the district administration direction, stating, “In 2023, we will focus more on five areas to ensure residents can feel the full impact of Mapo’s transformation: ▲swift and proactive ‘civil complaint handling,’ ▲creating an inclusive ‘accompanying Mapo’ from infants to seniors, ▲activating ‘community sports’ accessible to all, ▲‘breaking conventions’ for new alternatives and flexible thinking, and ▲‘public official integrity’ for trusted and transparent administration.”

Mayor Park Kang-soo shook hands with attending employees one by one and said, “I will do my best to improve employee welfare so that I can be a good mayor not only for residents but also for employees. Let us work together for regional development and residents’ happiness.”

Meanwhile, starting in 2023, Mapo-gu plans to pilot the ‘Senior Resident Participation Filial Meal Service’ for those aged 75 and older, open a ‘Metaverse Video Electronic Library’ for youth and young adults, and inaugurate the ‘Public Sunlight Center’ providing integrated services from pregnancy to childcare, laying the foundation for a happy Mapo for all residents.

Lee Ki-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, Delivers New Year Address at 2023 Opening Ceremony on the Morning of the 2nd

Lee Ki-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, attended the ‘2023 Opening Ceremony’ held on the morning of the 2nd at the Yangcheon Digital Media Center on the 3rd floor of the district office and delivered a New Year address.

At the ceremony, Mayor Lee Ki-jae said, “We will vigorously pursue the full vision of the 8th term with strong drive and meticulous execution,” and urged, “I hope all public officials unite with one heart to raise the differentiated urban brand value unique to Yangcheon-gu.”

Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo-gu, Holds 2023 Opening Ceremony... Emphasizes Strong Promotion of Priority Projects and Breaking Conventions

Seoul’s Gangseo-gu (Mayor Kim Tae-woo) held the ‘2023 Opening Ceremony’ at the Gangseo-gu Citizens’ Hall on the afternoon of the 2nd, pledging new development and leap forward through resident-centered changes in district administration.

In his New Year address, Mayor Kim Tae-woo said, “2023 is the first year to lay the practical foundation for the 8th term, and we must accelerate the promotion of planned priority projects.”

He added, “We must concentrate all capabilities to create a Gangseo that takes a step forward through a changed district administration that residents can feel,” expressing strong determination to push forward with campaign promises.

In particular, he said, “By carefully managing and actively promoting 52 campaign projects and major pending issues, we will do our best to achieve visible results for residents within two years of the term.”

Alongside this, he emphasized breaking away from rigid existing work methods and promoting proactive administration for residents’ benefit.

Mayor Kim said, “To respond to changing environments and build a progressive future, we must abandon ‘conventions’ that rely on existing methods,” and added, “If we actively and openly change things one by one from small matters, we will gain residents’ true hearts through changes and results they can feel.”

Finally, he urged, “This is a time when practical action is essential. I hope everyone will do their best with one heart and mind to carry out planned tasks without delay and lay the foundation for opening a happy future for Gangseo-gu.”

Kim Gil-seong, Mayor of Jung-gu, Begins New Year with First Communication with All Employees

Kim Gil-seong, Mayor of Seoul’s Jung-gu, began his first steps of the new year by making eye contact and sharing visions with all employees.

At 10 a.m. on the 2nd, all employees gathered in the main auditorium of Jung-gu Office to share the key tasks for 2023. The directions for future district administration were confirmed, including ▲active urban development ▲realization of happy and healthy welfare ▲strengthening educational competitiveness ▲revitalizing the local economy ▲pursuing communication and harmony.

To this end, in the new year, employees pledged to solve local problems with a ‘paradigm shift’ that breaks away from existing conventions, taking ownership and striving for Jung-gu’s development.

A special occasion was also held where Jung-gu and the Seoul branch of the Jung-gu Public Officials Labor Union signed a collective agreement for the first time in 13 years.

Since the union requested collective bargaining in June 2020, after 17 rounds of negotiations, a tentative agreement on all clauses was reached in December last year.

The collective agreement includes ▲protection of public officials’ ‘human rights’ and employees’ ‘protection’ ▲administration based on principles and common sense ▲improvement of working conditions ▲expansion of welfare benefits.

The agreement was made to recognize the union’s autonomy on an equal footing, improve working conditions and welfare for union members, and fulfill social responsibility to enhance public welfare for residents. Through this agreement, labor and management have become perfect partners for ‘resident-first’ administration.

Mayor Kim Gil-seong encouraged employees, saying, “I appreciate all employees who quietly perform their duties,” and urged, “To create a ‘Jung-gu where people want to live,’ I ask all employees to demonstrate creativity and proactive attitudes in their work.”

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, Holds Opening Ceremony to Vow a Strong Start to 2023

Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) held the 2023 Seongbuk-gu Employee Opening Ceremony on the 2nd at the multipurpose hall of Seongbuk-gu Office. About 500 public officials attended the ceremony. Simultaneously, an online ceremony was held, allowing about 1,000 public officials to participate in real time from their respective locations.

Mayor Lee Seung-ro emphasized at the ceremony, “Through the blueprint for Seongbuk’s development diligently laid since the 7th term, the 8th term must bring about tangible changes through concrete execution.”

He added, “First, by utilizing the historical and cultural resources of Seongbuk-dong, known as the ‘museum without a roof,’ we must realize a cultural and tourism city representing Seoul. We must also become a city where both parents and children are happy, with thorough childcare, care, and education without blind spots. Furthermore, through the rapid promotion of redevelopment and reconstruction long desired by many, we must achieve balanced development without regional disparities and emerge as a prestigious city in Korea.”

He continued, “In 2023, let us envision a vibrant community with room to care for neighbors and enjoy everyday happiness, listen to those in difficulty, lend a helping hand, and continue a wonderful new year with a warm spring breeze in Seongbuk-gu.”

Moreover, he stressed, “The 8th term of Seongbuk-gu will operate district administration based on three keywords: together, change, and growth, realizing a happier Seongbuk centered on fieldwork and people’s livelihoods that residents can feel and empathize with.” He pledged, “As mayor, I will do my best to support Seongbuk public officials so they can work with a sense of mission and pride solely for Seongbuk residents, dreaming of a better life and future for residents and the development of Seongbuk.”

Jung Moon-heon, Mayor of Jongno-gu, Gives Special Lecture on ‘Jongno Modern’ at Opening Ceremony

Jongno-gu (Mayor Jung Moon-heon) held an employee opening ceremony at 10 a.m. on the 2nd.

This was the first such event in three years since the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, attended by Mayor Jung Moon-heon and district executives. The program included the New Year address and screening of a video featuring new employees’ New Year aspirations.

On this day, Mayor Jung Moon-heon emphasized, “Let us concretely present the future-oriented model ‘Jongno Modern’ based on Jongno’s unique history and identity to the whole world,” and led a special lecture to establish the concept of Jongno Modern.