'Neighborhood Communication Day with Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu' Concludes Grand Journey Amid Warm Praise

Met with over 1,200 residents across 16 neighborhoods in 8 days to receive suggestions and propose active solutions
High resident satisfaction with participatory Elderly Meal Program, Hongdae Red Road, and Sky Path creation
Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, “We will continue to create communication platforms to listen closely to residents' voices”

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) announced that the ‘Neighborhood Communication Day with the Mayor’ (hereinafter ‘Neighborhood Communication Day’), which started vigorously on the 4th in Gongdeok-dong for on-site communication administration, successfully concluded its eight-day journey on the 15th in Mangwon 2-dong.

‘Neighborhood Communication Day’ was held under the theme ‘Voices of Residents, the Beginning of Policy’ to directly listen to residents’ voices on major district issues and jointly seek effective support measures. Mayor Park Gang-su of Mapo-gu, along with department heads and responsible officials, visited all 16 neighborhoods in person, receiving enthusiastic praise from residents.

Since last year, Mapo-gu has moved away from the traditional New Year neighborhood administrative report, where each neighborhood reports on pending tasks and the mayor presents the district’s direction. Instead, it has been conducting resident meetings that encourage free discussions and communication with residents.

This ‘Neighborhood Communication Day’ was attended by about 70 to 80 residents per neighborhood. Along with explanations of Mapo-gu’s 2024 administrative plans and goals, the event was conducted in a relaxed atmosphere where residents could directly propose suggestions or policies to Mayor Park Gang-su and receive responses on-site in a conversational format.

Through ‘Neighborhood Communication Day,’ residents proposed 89 opinions across various fields such as transportation and construction, urban environment, welfare, and culture and tourism for a better Mapo. Mayor Park Gang-su provided solutions on the spot for issues that could be immediately addressed.

Additionally, for matters requiring further review, it was promised that the on-site mayor’s office would verify the situation and respond after going through legal reviews and other procedures.

During ‘Neighborhood Communication Day,’ not only were suggestions made, but residents also evaluated district policies. In particular, many neighborhoods expressed continuous gratitude for the resident-participation ‘Hyo-do Bapsang’ (Filial Piety Meal), which Mapo-gu implemented for the first time.

An elderly participant in the Hyo-do Bapsang said, “When I was alone, I often skipped meals due to lack of appetite, but through Hyo-do Bapsang, I have been able to eat lunch on time with others, which has helped me take care of breakfast and dinner as well, improving my health. Nowadays, I even visit friends I met at Hyo-do Bapsang and share dinner with them, making every day enjoyable,” expressing gratitude.

Residents also showed high satisfaction and positive responses to Hongdae Red Road and Hapjeong Sky Road, which Mapo-gu has devoted great effort to creating for cultural, tourism, and economic revitalization.

This year’s ‘Neighborhood Communication Day’ also featured segments such as ‘Proud of Our Neighborhood,’ where residents directly explained and introduced the unique characteristics and attractive spots of their neighborhoods, and ‘Our Neighborhood’s Commitment,’ where each neighborhood announced their resolutions, drawing participants’ interest.

A secretary of a resident autonomy committee who participated in ‘Neighborhood Communication Day’ said, “The suggestions made at last year’s resident meeting were promptly addressed, increasing trust in Mapo-gu’s administration. This time, there was also time to proudly introduce our neighborhood to many residents, so I enjoyed participating. Starting from this opportunity, I will accelerate local activities to attract more people to visit our neighborhood.”

Mayor Park Gang-su of Mapo-gu said, “Meeting over 1,200 residents directly on-site through Neighborhood Communication Day and listening to their voices made me realize the importance of communication even more. Mapo-gu will continue to actively create opportunities for communication with residents and do its best to implement policies for the citizens.”