Dobong-gu Mayor Oh Eon-seok's Unique 'Wumunhyeondap' Resident Communication Approach

Dobong-gu Listens to On-site Voices at 157 Senior Centers, Welfare, and Youth Facilities

Visited 129 Senior Centers, 21 Welfare Facilities, and 7 Youth Facilities, Receiving a Total of 170 Complaints

Simple Complaints Immediately Addressed, Mid- to Long-term Projects Reported to Relevant Departments for Gradual Improvement

District Mayor Oh Eon-seok: “With the Attitude of 'Our Problems Have Answers on Site,' We Will Reflect Opinions Heard on the Ground to Lead Changes Tangible to Residents”

Among the 25 autonomous districts of Seoul, there is a district mayor who is the youngest, quickly adapts to changes and trends with flexibility, yet pursues an analog approach in resident communication, drawing attention.

The protagonist is none other than Oh Eon-seok, Mayor of Dobong-gu.

“The field is the starting point of problems directly related to residents' lives and where answers lie. I will be a district mayor who always listens attentively to even the smallest voices of residents and stays with them.”

Since his inauguration, Mayor Oh Eon-seok’s ‘on-site administration’ continues to sail smoothly. Although the names and details have changed or been added since the launch of the 8th elected term?such as ‘Dialogue with Residents of 14 Neighborhoods’ and ‘Cleaning Administration into the Field’?his efforts to lead changes that residents can feel through on-site administration continue.

Last May, Mayor Oh once again tied his shoelaces to listen to the voices on-site at senior centers, welfare, and youth facilities.

This was to listen to residents’ welfare needs and conduct safety inspections in preparation for the rainy season. By July 21, in just two months, he directly visited 157 welfare facilities in the district (129 senior centers, 21 welfare facilities, and 7 youth facilities) to check on the elderly and hear residents’ suggestions.

During this communication effort, department heads and staff from relevant departments accompanied him to check whether senior centers, welfare, and youth facilities were functioning properly and to address operational difficulties and suggestions.

A total of 170 suggestions were collected, ranging from simple daily complaints to mid- to long-term issues requiring review, such as rebuilding aging senior centers.

Mayor Oh instructed immediate action on simple matters to the relevant departments and requested that for projects requiring administrative procedures such as budget allocation and consultations with related organizations, sufficient deliberation be conducted to fully reflect residents’ opinions.

Regarding the handling of major suggestions, the request from a 95-year-old single elderly man at Kumho Eoullim Apartment Senior Center on the 11th for ‘help with house cleaning’ is currently being supported through the Care SOS project at Chang 5-dong Community Service Center, and the ‘ceiling waterproofing work’ requested on the 21st at Gyeongnam Apartment Senior Center was guided to apply for the apartment support project run by the district, with a promise of active support if eligibility requirements are met.

Oh Eon-seok, Mayor of Dobong-gu, said, “It was a valuable time to listen to and communicate with residents’ opinions on-site,” and added, “We will continue to listen to residents’ voices and communicate with them in the field of their daily lives.”