Modest Ingeun... Dongdaemun-gu Deputy Mayor Lee Ingeun's 'Warm Steps' Make Headlines

Former Seoul Climate and Environment Headquarters Director Ingeun Lee, Deputy Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, has been praised for his human side, communicating with secretariat staff over lunch since his appointment in January, supporting Mayor Ilhyung Lee's initiatives for a 'Carbon Neutral City' and 'City of Flowers'.

Lee In-geun, Deputy Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, recently took a commemorative photo with a foreigner he met while patrolling Cheongnyangni General Market.

Among the deputy district heads of Seoul's autonomous districts in the third year of the 8th term of the elected government, Lee In-geun, the Deputy District Head of Dongdaemun-gu, is the only one with a technical background.

After graduating from the Department of Environmental Engineering at the University of Seoul, he passed the technical civil service exam (environmental sector) and joined the Seoul Metropolitan Government. He served as the head of the Air Management Division, the Resource Circulation Division, the Jungnang Regeneration Center, and the Environmental Planning Officer, and then held the highest-ranking environmental position (Grade 2), the Head of the Climate and Environment Headquarters. On January 1 of this year, he was appointed as the Deputy District Head of Dongdaemun-gu.

Until now, among Seoul's deputy district heads, those with technical backgrounds were occasionally from civil engineering, architecture, or green space sectors, but Lee is the first from the environmental sector.

Deputy District Head Lee, appointed in line with Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Lee Pil-hyung's vision of creating a 'carbon-neutral city' and a 'city of flowers,' is striving to discover various projects for building a carbon-neutral city.

In particular, Dongdaemun-gu has taken the lead nationwide in establishing a zero-energy specialized district (tentative name) through public-private cooperation. This project aims to reduce carbon emissions in the building sector and promote sustainable development of the local community through zero-energy and green remodeling. The district selected the area around Samyuk Hospital, which is willing to actively participate in this project in line with the district's carbon-neutral policy, as the first pilot project site. The main building currently used as a hospital, an old building with high energy consumption, will undergo 'green remodeling' to convert it into a green building, improving energy efficiency and performance. The new annex building, planned for construction, will pursue zero-energy certification. The project will later expand to adjacent facilities such as Samyuk Health University and Yujawon (a specialized nursing facility for the elderly). This project is a collaboration among Dongdaemun-gu, Samyuk Hospital, EnergyX, and Dongseo Power, where ▲ Dongdaemun-gu handles policy coordination and promotion, ▲ Samyuk Hospital provides the site, ▲ EnergyX offers energy solutions, and ▲ Dongseo Power invests funds.

Additionally, proactive promotion of 'separate disposal of waste vinyl' is underway. This aims to reduce household waste in preparation for the ban on direct landfill in 2026. Recently, the district designated areas with high vinyl waste generation, such as ▲ subway station surroundings, ▲ markets, and ▲ busy commercial districts, as intensive management zones and distributed 'waste vinyl exclusive collection bags' to businesses within these zones.

Deputy District Mayor Lee In-geun (sixth from the left) sowed flower seeds on a small patch of land and took a commemorative photo with the residents who worked together.

Alongside this, efforts are being made to create a city of flowers by planting flowers and sowing flower seeds even in small spaces.

Meanwhile, Deputy District Head Lee's personable side has become a topic of interest. Since his inauguration, he has been attentive to the welfare of the secretariat team members who support him, earning much praise.

It is known that Deputy District Head Lee often communicates by having lunch with General Affairs Team Leader Lee Hyun-cheol, Secretary Park Eun-mi, and his executive secretary at restaurants near the district office. Secretary Park Eun-mi expressed gratitude, saying, "Deputy District Head Lee has a very modest personality and often has lunch with the secretariat team at places like the chicken stew restaurants near the district office," and added, "About a month ago, his wife sent blueberries saying, 'Please take good care of the staff.'"

Deputy District Head Lee, who is from the countryside and has a very modest demeanor, treats employees without formality and is well regarded. Perhaps because of this character, even though he left the Seoul Metropolitan Government eight months ago, it is known that employees still seek him out.