Mayor Oh Se-hoon sheds tears praising Mirae Hangang Headquarters staff for their hard work during the Hangang Bus launching ceremony in Sacheon, Gyeongnam on the 25th... Joo Yong-tae, who led the creation of Hangang Bus over 2 years, likely to receive key position in year-end personnel reshuffle, drawing attention
Mayor Oh Se-hoon is riding the Hangang bus with Joo Yong-tae, Head of the Future Hangang Headquarters, after the Hangang bus launching ceremony on the 25th.
On the afternoon of the 25th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon shed tears during his congratulatory speech at the ‘Hangang Bus’ launching ceremony held in Sacheon City, Gyeongnam.
That day, there were many interpretations within Seoul City about “Why did the mayor shed tears?”
Among them, many public opinions interpreted Mayor Oh’s tears as ‘tears of regret’ in response to the fierce criticism from the opposition party regarding the ‘Hangang Bus.’
The opposition party delivered sharp criticism of Mayor Oh not only at the Seoul Metropolitan Council but also during the national audit of Seoul City.
Mayor Oh said that day, “The appearance of the Hangang Bus is truly dignified, cute, and beautiful,” adding, “I am overwhelmed with emotion and cannot express it fully.”
He continued, “Through the Hangang Bus, we can provide public transportation to Seoul citizens and offer tourists visiting Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, a unique Seoul atmosphere, which makes me proud,” and showed tears while saying, “I sincerely thank the Future Hangang Headquarters and all Seoul City employees who have worked hard so far.”
Because of this, there is speculation that Mayor Oh’s mention of the Future Hangang Headquarters while shedding tears revealed his affection for Joo Yong-tae, the head of the Future Hangang Headquarters.
Joo Yong-tae graduated from Yonsei University with a degree in Public Administration and entered Seoul City through the 37th Administrative Examination. He is a planning expert who served as Director of the Tourism and Sports Bureau and Director of the Culture Headquarters. After working hard as the head of the Future Hangang Headquarters for two years, he became the key figure behind the creation of the ‘Hangang Bus.’
It is also true that there is speculation that Joo Yong-tae might be assigned an important position in the year-end personnel reshuffle of Seoul City.
The Hangang Bus, which will start operation in March next year, will operate on seven piers?Magok, Mangwon, Yeouido, Jamwon, Oksu, Ttukseom, and Jamsil?running every 15 minutes during commuting hours and every 30 minutes at other times, with an average of 68 trips per day in both directions.
Each ride can accommodate 199 passengers, with an average speed of 17 knots (31.5 km/h) and a maximum speed of 20 knots (37 km/h).
The one-way fare is 3,000 won, and if you purchase the 68,000 won Climate Companion Card, you can ride the bus, subway, Ddareungi bike, and even the Hangang Bus unlimitedly, which is expected to greatly increase the popularity of the ‘Climate Companion Card’ among young people.
In particular, it is expected to become an excellent means of transportation for tourists visiting Seoul to enjoy the night view of the Hangang River, drawing attention as a golden opportunity to advance the era of ‘30 million Seoul tourism.’
Given the criticism received regarding the ‘Hangang Bus,’ it seems possible to speculate that Mayor Oh was deeply hurt.
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