Candid Conversations Highlighted...
Emphasizing "Residents as Partners in City Administration"
Minho Choi, Mayor of Sejong City, is enjoying a conversation with residents. Photo by Citizen Communication Department
Minho Choi, Mayor of Sejong City, spent a night away from home for the second time this year.
He spent two days and one night in Bongam 2-ri, Yeonseo-myeon, engaging in conversations with residents, sleeping at the village hall, and touring the village with residents the following day.
Mayor Choi pledged, "I will pursue city administration in partnership with the residents."
On the 27th, Mayor Choi visited the site of the first phase of the Wolhacheon Disaster Prevention Project in Yeonseo-myeon to inspect its progress. The first phase of the Wolhacheon Disaster Prevention Project involves rebuilding bridges and reinforcing embankments in the area from Gobok-ri to Ssangjeon-ri in Yeonseo-myeon. The project aims to prevent disasters such as floods and to ensure flood control safety by improving the river environment. Completion is scheduled for September.
Mayor Choi asked for special attention to worker safety and urged that the project be carried out with utmost care to protect residents from natural disasters. He then moved to the Bongam 2-ri village hall, where he had a candid conversation with about 30 residents.
The residents requested the expansion and paving of the remaining section of the fire road behind the village hall, support for operating personnel for the village cafe (a social cooperative) through the senior job support program, and installation of surveillance CCTV near the public restroom on Sumongang-gil, among other local issues.
In response, Mayor Choi instructed that the issue of members of the social cooperative, composed of village residents, running the village cafe as volunteer work should be addressed by including it in the second half of this year's plan for the 2026 senior job program. He also asked the relevant department to ensure that issues directly related to residents' lives, such as installing surveillance CCTV near the public restroom, are reflected in policy as soon as possible.
In particular, Mayor Choi expressed his gratitude to residents by sharing the process of establishing the Sejong National Industrial Complex in Yeonseo-myeon as the most memorable case of conflict resolution during his term.
He said, "In most cases, there are conflicts between the city and residents during the creation of an industrial complex, but there were no such issues with the Sejong National Industrial Complex." He explained, "I believe this was because the city sincerely addressed residents' concerns, such as actively resolving damages from official land value increases and restrictions on public benefit direct payments, as well as leading the revision of the property tax reduction ordinance and the proposal of related legislative amendments."
He added, "Recently, I even received words of thanks related to this, and it was a moment when all my fatigue disappeared. Since each and every resident's voice is an important foundation for the city's development, I will continue to pursue city administration for the future together with all of you."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
