Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu in the 8th Elected Term, Reforms Previous 3-Day Weekly Garbage Collection System to 6 Days
Gwangjin-gu's 6-Day Weekly Garbage Collection System Awarded as Seoul Autonomous District's Best Active Administration Case
"The neighborhoods in Gwangjin-gu have become cleaner. Also, when complaints are filed, the response is quick."
When asked about the achievements of the 8th elected term, Kim Kyung-ho, the mayor of Gwangjin-gu, answered this way.
In fact, among the duties of a district mayor, keeping the neighborhood clean through proper cleaning and responding quickly when complaints are raised are probably the most important tasks.
It seems that Kim Kyung-ho, the mayor of Gwangjin-gu, has satisfied these residents' needs.
Mayor Kim previously served as the deputy mayor of Gwangjin-gu, so he is understood to be a mayor who knows the needs of local residents better than anyone else.
The cleanliness, hygiene, and pleasant roads of a city are critical issues directly linked to the safety and happiness of residents. Once cleaning begins, the previously dirty and narrow streets become wider, revealing the true face of a safe and convenient city. Clean streets and environment are the residents' rightful entitlement.
This is also Mayor Kim Kyung-ho's usual philosophy.
Gwangjin-gu was selected as the best case in the second half of this year at the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Excellent Active Administration Case Selection Competition for promoting the '6-day-a-week household waste collection system.' The 6-day-a-week household waste collection system is a core project of the 8th elected term, implemented to resolve residents' inconveniences and ensure stable disposal of household waste.
Previously, waste was collected only three days a week. Recycling waste collection was divided between direct management and subcontracting, causing difficulties in fast and consistent waste collection. Moreover, the days residents could dispose of waste were divided: 8 neighborhoods had 'Monday, Wednesday, Friday,' and 7 neighborhoods had 'Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday,' causing ongoing inconvenience to residents. Reflecting the district's strong will to improve resident convenience and efficient waste disposal, approximately 50 billion KRW budget will be invested by 2026 to innovatively improve the household waste collection system. The district announced that the number of habitual illegal dumping sites decreased by 40%, from 196 to 116 locations.
There were difficulties at the beginning of implementation. Subcontracted sanitation workers took time to adapt to the new collection system, including deciding the locations of intermediate collection points and the order of collection operations.
There were also many complaints. To resolve complaints and prepare countermeasures, the district held several meetings with cleaning subcontractors to listen to opinions and find solutions, gradually stabilizing the collection system. Efficient adjustment of collection methods, regular meetings with subcontractors, and active resident publicity were continuous efforts that accelerated the establishment of the 6-day collection system.
Now, residents can dispose of waste without checking the designated days. Residents' inconvenience and hassle have decreased, while convenience and satisfaction have increased.
This is why Gwangjin-gu's active administration was selected as the best case in the second half of this year. It received high scores evenly across all evaluation indicators: ▲citizen perception ▲proactiveness ▲importance and difficulty ▲spread and sustainability ▲creativity and expertise. Notably, among the 12 competing projects that passed the first preliminary screening, it received the most votes in the Seoul Metropolitan Government's M-Voting citizen poll, adding significance.
Mayor Kim Kyung-ho visited the homes of elderly people living alone on the first anniversary of his inauguration in the 8th elected term and personally cleaned their toilet bowls, leaving a touching impression.
As a former administrative official who passed the civil service exam and served in high-ranking positions (Grade 1) in Seoul City, he is evaluated as a mayor who may lack some political flexibility but possesses sincerity.
Mayor Kim's administrative philosophy is also clearly reflected in street vendor administration. Street vendors that appeared decades ago around subway stations were one of the challenges the district had to solve due to pedestrian inconvenience and deterioration of urban aesthetics. The number of street vendors that caused pedestrian inconvenience and safety threats was reduced and organized to create a pleasant environment.
At the start of the 8th elected term, a full survey of street vendors was conducted, and dozens of meetings were held with street vendors. The urgency and validity of street vendor removal were continuously explained. Although there was strong resistance from street vendors, through continuous dialogue and persuasion, consent was obtained from operators. Among the 278 street vendors on the streets at the start of the 8th term, 88 were reorganized. Through continuous communication, about one-third was reduced without major conflicts. The street vendor administration also received an excellence award at the 'Excellent Administration and Policy Case Selection Competition' hosted by the Korea Public Policy Evaluation Association in July.
Kim Kyung-ho, mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, "This excellent award is the result of continuously thinking and communicating with residents to resolve their inconveniences," and added, "We will continue to do our best to provide practical help to residents' lives through administration that never loses its original intention and constantly communicates."
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