Why Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Director Lee Soo-yeon of the Green City Leisure Bureau Received Pleasant Compliments?

Idea Man Director Lee Su-yeon Praised in Report to Mayor for Supporting Mayor's New Year's Address Opening Sentence to Make Seoul a 'Charming City' with Plans for 'Donghaeng Garden' and 'Mae-ryeok Garden'; Court Rules Seoul Not Required to Pay KR 42.1 Billion Compensation Imposed by Korea Rail Network Authority for Use of Gyeongui Line Forest Park Site, Boosting Morale of Green Space Officials

Mayor Oh Se-hoon

Lee Su-yeon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Green City Bureau, is a senior administrative official (Grade 2). Despite being an administrative officer, Director Lee attracted attention when she was appointed on January 1st of this year as the head of over 800 green space officials in Seoul.

Since her appointment, Director Lee has been actively working to make Seoul, a "Garden City"?a key interest of Mayor Oh?into an attractive city, earning positive evaluations.

Having graduated from Seoul National University’s Department of Forestry and passed the local civil service exam on her first attempt, Director Lee joined the Seoul Metropolitan Government and previously served as the Director of Seoul Grand Park. Due to this experience, she was appointed as the Director of the Green City and Leisure Bureau. In a recent work report, she stated, “I will create a garden city Seoul to enhance the city's appeal.”

She said, “I will create ‘attractive gardening’ throughout Seoul,” and announced plans to establish ‘Companion Gardens’ around welfare centers to provide horticultural therapy for the disabled and alleviate loneliness. She also reported plans to create ‘Attractive Gardens’ at subway stations, bus stops, and community centers.

Mayor Oh praised these reports, saying, “There are many good ideas.” Director Lee is known as a senior official who frequently comes up with creative ideas.

As the first mayor of Seoul’s 4th elected term, Mayor Oh has a deep understanding of the city’s overall operations and is generally hard to satisfy. However, it is said that he was very pleased after hearing Director Lee’s report that day.

Park Dae-woo, Deputy Mayor of Gangseo District and a civil service exam peer of Director Lee, said, “The fact that Director Lee received praise from the mayor has reached us here.”

The atmosphere at the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Green City and Leisure Bureau is also improving significantly.

When administrative officer Director Lee was appointed as the head of green space officials, it is known that there was initially some dissatisfaction.

Soo-yeon Lee, Director of the Green City and Leisure Bureau, Seoul Metropolitan Government

However, after her appointment, Director Lee reassured the staff by saying, “I will only align the Green City Bureau’s operational paradigm with the mayor’s intentions,” and expressed trust in leaving the details to the employees. She conveyed that “our green space officials are sincere” and that “we are working hard together.”

A senior manager also said, “Since Director Lee came, she has been working hard and genuinely cares for the staff, which is very commendable.”

On the 26th, Director Lee showed efforts to unite with the staff by treating all employees to pizza.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Green City and Leisure Bureau celebrated a milestone. A court ruling determined that Seoul does not have to pay the 42.1 billion won compensation imposed by the Korea National Railway Corporation regarding the use of the Gyeongui Line Forest Park site.

Seoul announced on the 26th that this ruling was the result of a trial lasting over three years at the Seoul Administrative Court’s first instance.

Director Lee expressed joy, saying, “Our staff worked hard on the defense, and by winning the first trial, if this result becomes a final judgment, we will be able to save 8.2 billion won in the budget annually.”

Seoul plans to hold an international garden expo along the Han River in May. Mayor Oh has high expectations.