Seo District Mayor is a principled public official with no room for error in his attitude, yet is recognized as a capable mayor with expertise in culture, warm-heartedness toward improving staff working conditions and supporting elderly living alone.
Seogangseok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, is a very thorough mayor when it comes to the attitude of public officials.
He always makes sure to be in his office by 1 PM after lunch. As a public official, he does not forgive even the slightest lapse in discipline. He also does not waste business promotion expenses. He has a warm heart that returns the saved budget to the employees.
Nevertheless, he also has a point of not compromising on principles. Early in his term, he faced some resistance while improving unreasonable practices.
Because of this stubbornness, some voices criticize him, but he is a mayor without flaws in terms of competence and character as a public official.
Union Office Remodeling to Improve Working Conditions
Seogangseok, Mayor of Songpa District (first from the left), is having lunch and conversing with labor union executives after remodeling the union office.
He shows exceptional affection for improving employees' working conditions.
Mayor Seo recently remodeled the union office to improve working conditions.
The Songpa-gu government building is 37 years old, and there was a lack of idle space, causing inconvenience to visiting residents and employees. In particular, small meeting, communication, and rest areas were limited.
To solve this, the district negotiated with the Songpa-gu union in May this year and created a new space by relocating and rearranging the union office.
The Songpa-gu union office, which was on the 10th floor of the government building, was renovated into an open space called ‘The Lounge,’ and the Songpa branch of the Seoul City Labor Union, which was on the same floor, relocated to the space previously used by the Songpa-gu union. The Seoul City union also newly furnished and moved their office using idle space on the same floor.
‘The Lounge’ is a seminar room measuring 90㎡ (27 pyeong). Opened on July 19, it is equipped with a large LED electronic display and state-of-the-art sound equipment. It is used for various group meetings, department meetings, and during idle times, as a rest area where employees can comfortably eat and drink tea.
Workshop for Executives Grade 5 and Above Held on the 1st and 2nd... A Place to Share Songpa-gu’s Future Vision
Along with this, the district held a 1-night, 2-day workshop in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, with 84 executives of grade 5 and above.
At the halfway point of the 8th elected term, the district held the workshop to reaffirm the core values of its vision, ‘Serving Administration’ and ‘Creativity, Innovation, Fairness,’ within the organization. It was planned as an ‘organizational building’ event to share Songpa’s future vision and consolidate departmental capabilities, not just a simple outing.
On the first day, presentations were made to present the future vision and promotion strategies of eight bureaus, offices, and divisions. It was a place to share plans between departments and firmly strengthen their resolve with the motto of ‘Creating a premium city that serves residents as owners.’
In particular, the blueprint to enhance residents’ convenience and quality of life by driving ‘supportive administration rather than regulation,’ which Mayor Seo has always emphasized, was presented. Each department head introduced various development and infrastructure expansion plans to be pursued in the future, focusing on key projects such as the ‘Songpa-daero Premium Street Development Project.’
Additionally, new policies reflecting the era’s demands, such as expanding welfare for the elderly in the super-aged society, were announced as they prepared for the district’s future with one heart.
On the second day, a leadership special lecture was held under the theme ‘The Role of Executives Who Are Respected and Supported.’ They learned about horizontal leadership that gains members’ hearts through respect and communication and connects it to performance, reflecting on the true conditions of a leader.
Furthermore, to cultivate the ‘literary sensitivity’ of the 84 leaders, opportunities were provided to leave familiar places, gain new experiences, and recharge ideas. The event included a night of harmony to build camaraderie and teamwork beyond rigid formats, a meditation breathing class to relieve stress, and a themed garden tour to benchmark a garden city with pleasant walking paths.
Seogangseok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “Mayors and public officials all bear the solemn duty of being democratically representative and legitimate and representing the will of the residents,” adding, “Songpa-gu public officials will put aside outdated authority consciousness and serve residents unwaveringly through sincere practice, not just words.”
Mayor Seo received great applause from residents by showing a proactive attitude in leading by example for residents’ interests while strongly responding to damages caused by relic excavations that hinder local reconstruction projects.
He also practices ‘serving administration’ by frequently visiting vulnerable residents such as elderly living alone. This is interpreted as showing exceptional interest and affection for vulnerable groups due to his very difficult childhood.
Mayor Seo is a talented individual who, while deeply involved in theater directing during university, passed the administrative examination while working after graduation. Especially in the cultural field, he has excellent insight, demonstrating his capabilities in various cultural administrations, such as upgrading the content of the Hansung Baekje Cultural Festival, the largest cultural festival in Songpa, since his inauguration as the 8th elected mayor of Songpa-gu.
An executive in Songpa-gu praised, “Mayor Seo is a very warm mayor who quickly makes rational decisions and cares for the employees’ hearts.”
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