Yongsan-gu Selects and Rewards 5 Outstanding Public Officials for Proactive Administration

Choi Yuseong, Kim Donghan, Yoon Gwanggil, Kim Byungjun, Park Jongmyeong, etc.
Resolving Local Issues Such as Parking Lots and Reconstruction

Yongsan-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Park Hee-young) announced on the 15th that it selected and awarded five exemplary public officials who achieved outstanding results through proactive administration during the second half of the year.

The outstanding public officials are ▲(Grand Prize) Choi Yu-seong, Officer of the Housing Division ▲(Excellence) Kim Dong-han, Officer of the Future Strategy Office ▲(Encouragement) Yoon Kwang-gil, Officer of the Parking Management Division ▲(Outstanding Team) Kim Byung-jun, Head of the External Strategy Team of the Future Strategy Office (main contributor) and Park Jong-myung, Head of the Parking Facilities Team of the Parking Management Division (co-contributor).

The selection of these outstanding public officials was conducted by publicly verifying 18 cases recommended by residents and departments, followed by a preliminary review by the relevant proactive administration departments, which selected eight cases in the first round. Subsequently, the Proactive Administration Committee, composed of private experts and internal members, deliberated and finalized the selection of five individuals.

Yongsan District Office building. Provided by Yongsan District Office.

Officer Choi Yu-seong was honored with the grand prize for his achievement in laying the groundwork for the reconstruction of Jungsan Apartment, which was completed in 1970.

Jungsan Apartment was severely aged to the extent of being designated a disaster-risk facility with a safety grade of D, and its reconstruction required purchasing the land owned by the Seoul Metropolitan Government where the apartment is located.

Officer Choi actively proposed to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Housing Division to relax the conditions for selling city-owned property to resolve safety issues in aging multi-family housing. At the same time, to increase the payment rate of lease fees, which was a condition for the sale of city-owned property, he encouraged building owners to pay the lease fees, resulting in 254 out of 255 households fully paying their fees. Subsequently, through the shared property review, the sale price of the city-owned property was finalized, establishing the foundation for reconstruction promotion.

Officer Kim Dong-han negotiated with the Capital Defense Command to utilize the parking lot site of the military apartments in Yongsan 2-ga-dong to solve parking problems in the area. Yongsan 2-ga-dong is a highland with steep slopes and narrow roads, densely populated with low-rise residences, making it difficult to secure parking facilities.

After receiving a reply that opening the parking lot was difficult due to security facilities, he explored the option of utilizing the idle green space owned by Boseong Academy, a school corporation adjacent to the military apartments. He conducted negotiations with Boseong Academy for approval of free land use and with the Capital Defense Command regarding safety issues such as the aging fence of the military apartments adjacent to the green space.

Through these efforts, he obtained approval for free land use from the landowner, Boseong Academy, and successfully created 19 resident-priority parking spaces where local residents can share parking.

Officer Yoon Kwang-gil improved the operation method of the public parking lot after multiple discussions with the market merchants’ association, local district council members, and related departments to resolve illegal parking issues in front of Ichon General Market.

The resident-priority parking lot around Ichon-ro 75-gil is located right in front of Ichon General Market, leading to illegal parking where parking spaces were transferred to market visitors. With the improved operation method, about 20,000 vehicles used this parking lot from May to the end of October, averaging 3,390 vehicles per month. Among these, 1,541 vehicles were market users, accounting for about 45% of total usage.

This effort was highly evaluated for resolving complaints arising from the previous resident-priority parking operation while creating a public parking lot accessible to everyone, contributing to the revitalization of the traditional market.

Team Leader Kim Byung-jun devised a plan to utilize an unused site owned by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) near Samgak Station as a parking lot. Yongridan-gil (from Sinyongsan Station to Samgak Station), which has become a popular spot among the MZ generation, is experiencing intensified parking conflicts between local residents and visitors due to increased foot traffic.

To address this issue, Team Leader Kim signed an agreement with KEPCO for the “Temporary Public Parking Lot Creation and Management at Samgakji Substation Site” and held detailed discussions with related departments such as the Parking Management Division. He also held meetings and briefings with local residents, resulting in the creation of a 220-space public parking lot on the idle KEPCO site in Samgakji.

The selected exemplary public officials in proactive administration will receive the highest grade of performance bonuses, along with rewards such as paid leave, priority selection for overseas training, and priority allocation of resort facilities. In addition to the cash awards, certificates from the district mayor will be presented at the “2024 Year-End Ceremony” on the 31st of this month.

District Mayor Park Hee-young said, “Proactive administration that impresses residents means thinking once more from the residents’ perspective in everyday tasks and turning even small changes into actions,” adding, “We will continue to encourage employees who carry out their duties proactively and creatively and will spare no support to boost morale.”