Hanam-si Invites Jeon Sun-pyo, Chairman of Sesco Co., Ltd., for a Special Lecture on 'Challenge and Creative Spirit'

Hanam City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Hyun-jae) invited Jeon Soon-pyo, Chairman of CESCO Co., Ltd., to the monthly meeting held on the 6th at the city hall annex auditorium, where he gave a special lecture on the theme "Creating a Path Where There Is None," focusing on the spirit of challenge and creativity.

Hanam City invited Jeon Sun-pyo, Chairman of Sesco Co., Ltd., to the monthly meeting held on the 6th at the City Hall Annex Auditorium, where he gave a special lecture on the theme "Creating a Path Where There Is None," focusing on the spirit of challenge and creativity. Photo by Hanam City

Chairman Jeon shared various lessons on how to cope with crises and the mindset to challenge fate, based on his memoirs reflecting his life experiences.

Jeon, a pioneer in Korea's pest control industry, was born in Bongyang-ri, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon Province in 1935. He survived the Korean War and overcame life-threatening situations to become a public official in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry estimated that there were 90 million rats in Korea, consuming about 2.4 million seom (a traditional Korean unit of volume) of grain, worth approximately 24 billion won, which accounted for 8% of the total grain production at the time. The issue of grain loss in rural areas was thus very serious.

Driven by a sense of mission to solve the grain loss problem caused by rats, Chairman Jeon endured a tough study period in the UK to acquire advanced technology and returned to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. He then devoted himself to pest control work, including leading a nationwide "Rat Catching Campaign," earning the reputation as Korea's first "Rat Doctor."

After retiring from public service, Chairman Jeon founded Korea's first pest control company, Jeonwoo Pest Control, in 1976. In 1996, the company was renamed CESCO, and he currently serves as the chairman of this leading pest control company in Korea.

Chairman Jeon emphasized, "If you set a goal and persist without giving up, you can find the path to success," adding, "Even when faced with difficulties, if you consider it fate and work hard, opportunities will surely come, so I advise you never to give up."

Meanwhile, Mayor Lee Hyun-jae received a certificate from Kim Choong-hwan, Chairman of the Korea Public Autonomy Research Institute, recognizing Hanam City as the 2nd place nationwide in the 'KLCI 2024 Korea Local Autonomy Competitiveness Index Management Performance Category.'

The Korea Local Autonomy Competitiveness Index is an indicator analyzed and evaluated annually by the Korea Public Autonomy Research Institute, assessing the competitiveness of 226 basic local governments nationwide, including 75 cities, 82 counties, and 69 districts.

This year, Hanam City scored a total of 295.2 points in six evaluation areas of management performance: population vitality, health and welfare, education and culture, public safety, community, and economic vitality, ranking 2nd nationwide.

Mayor Lee praised the staff, saying, "This is the result of the hard work of all the employees."

Additionally, Mayor Lee shared key achievements and visions and urged the staff to focus on major city administration issues.

He highlighted that thanks to the diligent work of public officials, Hanam City received excellent evaluations such as ranking 4th in the 2024 Most Livable City in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, certification of the 'National Happiness Civil Service Office' by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Gyeonggi Province Architecture Administration Award.

Mayor Lee explained, "Due to these positive evaluations, the city's brand value has increased, and Hanam City has become the most desirable city for young people to live in, recording the highest nationwide population inflow among the 30-40 age group."

Meanwhile, the monthly meeting proceeded in the following order: certificate awarding (2nd place nationwide in the Korea Local Autonomy Competitiveness Index), commendation awarding (for exemplary residents and officials in various fields), delivery of the mayor's key policies and requests, and a special lecture.