"Thanks to All of You, Andong Was Protected"

Kwon Kichang, Mayor of Andong, Delivers Heartfelt Words of Gratitude
Expresses Sincere Thanks and Regret to Public Officials
for Their Wildfire Response at Regular Briefing

Kwon Kichang, Mayor of Andong, recently expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the public officials who quietly protected the citizens during the recent wildfire crisis at a regular briefing held at Andong City Hall.

Kwon Kichang, mayor of Andong, expressed his sincere gratitude to the public officials who protected Andong before the regular briefing at the city hall.

On this day, Mayor Kwon was visibly moved and said, "If it were not for all of you, there would be no Andong as we know it today."

During the regular briefing held in the main conference room of City Hall on the morning of the 12th, Mayor Kwon used a metaphor to express the value of public officials, stating, "Our world is made up of water, fire, earth, and air, and the 1,500 or so public officials of Andong are, among these elements, as essential to the citizens as water and air."

He went on to describe the crisis response at the time, saying, "On the day the wildfire was heading toward Andong, you climbed to the top of the mountain without fear to block the flames, and in the process of persuading residents to evacuate, dozens of staff members faced the danger of being trapped by the fire."

At that time, senior officials volunteered to be deployed to the scene, saying, "We will go up the mountain before the other staff," and one public official even ran into the flames to rescue residents, despite his own house being on fire. Mayor Kwon highlighted their dedication, emphasizing, "Thanks to all of you, Andong was able to be protected."

The hardship continued even after the wildfire was extinguished. During the recovery process, public officials were overwhelmed with excessive civil complaints, and some even applied for leave or resigned from public service due to severe stress and depression.

Regarding this, Mayor Kwon expressed his deep gratitude, saying, "As mayor, I am both grateful and sorry to all of you who overcame pain you had never experienced before in your public service careers."

At the end of the regular briefing, Mayor Kwon said, "Your efforts will determine the future of Andong," and urged, "Like water and air for Andong, you are the core driving force in creating a new Andong with creative passion and a sense of responsibility."

In response to Mayor Kwon's unexpected and heartfelt remarks, the public officials gathered in the conference room quietly nodded in agreement. The regular briefing concluded in a solemn yet warm atmosphere.

Andong City plans to continue remembering the dedication of its public officials and to foster a warm and healthy organizational culture.

Kwon Kichang, Mayor of Andong, is expressing his sincere gratitude as the Mayor of Andong to the public officials who protected Andong before the regular briefing at City Hall.