One Year of Minseon 8th Term: Seoul District Mayors' Low-Profile Approach

Nowon District Mayor Oh Seung-rok Communicates with Staff in a 'Humble Manner' While Grilling Samgyeopsal

Yeongdeungpo District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon Visits Gosiwon and Homeless Shelter for 'Accompanied Walk' Instead of Formal Events

With the launch of the 8th local government election just over 10 days away, the actions of Seoul district mayors are also drawing attention.

Seoul district mayors are showing a humble approach, deeply engaging with residents as they mark their first year in office.

Nowon District Mayor Oh Seung-rok has been communicating with staff and residents in various ways ahead of the first anniversary of the 8th local government term.

On the 15th, Mayor Oh held a special gathering at Choan Mountain Camping Site to talk with employees. The purpose was to express gratitude to frontline workers and to unite efforts for advancing the district administration in the 8th local government term. Mayor Oh prepared the meeting by lighting a fire and grilling meat. Three employees representing their respective generations from their 20s to 40s attended the barbecue talk, enjoying barbecue and craft beer made by the Nowon Craft Beer Cooperative while continuing their conversation.

On the 15th, Oh Seung-rok, the mayor of Nowon District, communicated with employees while grilling samgyeopsal.

During the Q&A session, several questions and episodes were selected from 66 submissions collected in advance from employees. Mayor Oh answered a wide range of questions from personal and trivial topics such as school days anecdotes, stress relief methods, and “What’s in my bag” to messages for employees in their 20s and 30s, his administrative philosophy, and the development direction of Nowon.

Additionally, on the 24th, he will hold a Human Book invitation session with local young artists. The Human Book is a new concept reading service where instead of paper books, people with experience and knowledge in specific fields (Human Books) are lent out.

Yeongdeungpo District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon, marking his first year in office, is foregoing a separate commemorative event and instead meeting residents directly to share the achievements of the past year and the vision for the district’s future through on-site communication.

To realize “Hope, Happiness, and Future City Yeongdeungpo,” Mayor Choi is preparing for Yeongdeungpo’s leap forward based on the values and philosophy of “practical local autonomy and prioritizing residents’ interests.”

In particular, instead of a formal New Year’s greeting event earlier this year, Mayor Choi visited all 170 senior centers in the district to communicate with the elderly in a “Warm Accompaniment with Seniors” campaign, followed by “Empathy School Day” to listen to the vivid voices of parents in educational settings, demonstrating his emphasis on communication.

Choi Ho-gwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District

Marking the first anniversary of the 8th local government term, Mayor Choi is taking steps to approach residents first and communicate with them, focusing on their livelihoods instead of holding a formal commemorative ceremony. This reflects Mayor Choi’s firm determination to listen to residents’ voices rather than organizing showy events that waste unnecessary budgets and administration.

First, Mayor Choi will practice “accompaniment with the vulnerable” by visiting gosiwon (small lodging houses) and homeless shelters to hear the difficulties faced by vulnerable groups. He will also visit households affected by last summer’s record-breaking heavy rains to check on recovery progress and carry out volunteer activities for low-income families. Furthermore, he will visit dementia care households and single-parent families to actively establish an integrated care system.

Finally, he will tour the site of the “Yeongdeungpo Arts Center” in Mullae-dong, where a resident-friendly space is being created, and listen to the voices of local cultural artists and residents.