[Interview] Ryoo Kyung-gi, Jungnang-gu Mayor: "Communication is the Key to Opening Residents' Happiness"

Jungnang Masil, Alley Cleaning, Direct Messaging, and Continuous Communication for Problem Solving... "Communication Is No Longer an Option but a Necessity for Public Officials"

"Communication is no longer an option but a necessity for public officials. When we communicate with residents, problem-solving abilities improve, and the relationship between administration and residents becomes closer. These elements accumulate one by one to build trust."

Ryu Gyeong-gi, Mayor of Jungnang District, emphasized the importance of on-site communication in an interview, stating this.

Since the beginning of his term, he has been dedicating all his efforts to listening to the stories of district residents and communicating by visiting various sites on foot. 'Jungnang Masil,' where he openly talks with residents as if visiting a neighborhood, the 'Alley Cleaning' initiative steadily conducted since 2018, and the new communication channel for residents in the 8th term, the 'Direct Text to the Mayor,' are all communication channels aimed at getting closer to residents.

Jungnang Masil is a communication channel where the mayor personally visits places with local issues or inconveniences and engages in immediate Q&A with residents. Starting from Sangbong Elementary School in October 2018, through continuous meetings over the past five years up to the 199th session with residents of Myeonmok 2-dong, he has met 6,752 diverse residents including seniors, parents, and fashion sewing industry workers. Of the 1,028 proposals raised, 885 cases, or 86.1%, have been addressed. This communication approach reflects Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi’s conviction that "the answer to our problems lies on-site," making it the representative communication channel of Jungnang District.

The local issues discovered through communication with residents via Jungnang Masil have become a pathway to solving various large and small problems throughout Jungnang District. Mayor Ryu stated that they are laying the foundation for creating the 'Educational City Future Jungnang' through projects such as "making safe school routes, replacing musical instruments, and remodeling old school spaces" to improve the educational environment. Additionally, to create a 'Vibrant Economic Jungnang,' they actively collected and reflected residents' opinions regarding the development of Sangbong-dong Food Alley, Sagajeong Youth Street, and the establishment of the Social Economy Support Center. Other closely resident-related administrative projects such as barrier-free forest trails, road heating systems, and heated chair installations were also promoted.

Another important communication channel, Alley Cleaning, has been ongoing since the 7th term. Every Wednesday morning, the mayor goes out to the streets to clean together with residents, having completed 140 sessions, cleaning a total distance of 111,625 km with 4,305 residents. Along with communication, this effort has made the area cleaner and reduced cleaning complaints by more than half. Due to his consistent cleaning efforts, residents have nicknamed Mayor Ryu the "Broom Mayor."

With the start of the 8th term, another communication channel called 'Direct Text to the Mayor' was created, allowing residents to send complaints, suggestions, and inconveniences directly to the mayor via text without any separate procedures. The texts are categorized by issue and reviewed by relevant departments, and if necessary, multiple departments hold meetings together. Issues handled this way receive a response within 24 hours to the person who submitted the opinion. So far, 1,480 complaints have been received and processed. They also receive texts such as "Thank you for safely and neatly replacing the inconvenient sidewalk blocks," and "The previously dark streetlights were replaced with LED lights, making the streets brighter."

Mayor Ryu’s philosophy is that even difficult and complex matters require communication with residents, taking time for persuasion and sincerity, and when something cannot be done, it must be explained accurately to gain understanding.

Ryu Gyeong-gi, Mayor of Jungnang District, said, "It is rewarding and joyful to always believe that the answer lies on-site and to visit residents closely to listen to diverse voices," and emphasized, "I will continue to listen to the voices of various residents without change and breathe together with them in the places closest to their lives, using this as a compass for district administration and direction."