“What does ‘welfare’ mean to you, Mr. District Mayor?”
On the 24th at 2 p.m., during the 'Jung-gu Mayor's Callcall Date' held in the district mayor’s office, Lee Seung-su, a student from Dongguk University’s Department of Social Welfare, asked this question via video call.
Kim Gil-seong, the mayor of Jung-gu, said, “I believe welfare is about understanding the residents’ hearts and making them happy,” and introduced Jung-gu’s childbirth and childcare support system, senior citizens’ transportation subsidies, job policies, welfare blind spot reporting reward system, and support for single-person households.
Mr. Lee Hyung-hwa, who lives in Sogong-dong, suggested via video call, “When pushing a stroller on Jeongdong-gil, the curb is too high and inconvenient, so it would be great if it could be lowered.”
In response, Mayor Kim said, “From June, sidewalk leveling work will be carried out on Jeongdong-gil,” promising improvements to the pedestrian environment.
Mr. Kim Jong-man, residing in Cheonggu-dong, expressed gratitude for the thoughtful care, saying, “Yesterday, the district office installed an air conditioner at my 95-year-old mother’s house, who lives alone.”
Starting with this call, Mayor Kim Gil-seong will meet with 4 to 5 residents via video every fourth Wednesday of the month.
He plans to have in-depth conversations about opinions left on the ‘District Mayor Communication Text Phone’ and openly discuss daily inconveniences and thoughts on district administration. The aim is to value residents’ opinions and move beyond formal responses to engage in meaningful communication that reaches into residents’ daily lives.
The District Mayor Communication Text Phone (hereafter Communication Phone) is a campaign project promoted by Mayor Kim Gil-seong, who prioritizes ‘communication with residents’ as the top value in district administration. When residents submit complaints via text to the district mayor, the mayor personally responds within three days.
Since the Communication Phone was launched, a total of 3,921 complaints have been received. These range from daily life issues such as road damage and cleaning to policy matters like easing height restrictions on Namsan, with an average response time of 2.7 days and a 100% reply rate.
Notably, expressions of thanks, greetings, and messages of encouragement regarding complaint handling have increased, highlighting that this service has become a two-way communication channel with residents beyond simple complaint handling.
Jung-gu is expanding communication touchpoints with residents and diversifying channels. The ‘Hwamokhan Date,’ where the district mayor visits 15 neighborhood community centers every Tuesday and Thursday to talk with residents, is ongoing. The mayor meets as many residents as possible on-site to check for any daily inconveniences.
During the video call with residents, Mayor Kim Gil-seong said, “It was an opportunity to meet residents from various walks of life whom I normally wouldn’t encounter on the street and hear diverse opinions,” adding, “I will do my best to actively reflect the suggestions in district administration so that residents can feel the changes.”
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