Oh Sehoon Embarks on 8-Day Business Trip to Vienna and Milan
Visits Senior and Disability Facilities to Advance Policy
Signs MOU with IACA After Regaining Top Integrity Rating
Fulfills Key Policy Agendas Including "Design Seoul"
Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon inspected facilities for vulnerable groups, including seniors and people with disabilities, during his business trip to Europe, and signed an agreement with an international anti-corruption organization. Mayor Oh plans to further develop his policy philosophy of supporting the vulnerable and promoting integrity by incorporating perspectives gained locally.
On the morning of July 2 (local time), Mayor Oh visited the Caritas St. Magdalena senior care facility and the Caritas Wien Wohngemeinschaft Batikgasse residential facility for people with disabilities, both located in Vienna, Austria. Under his policy philosophy of "walking with the vulnerable," Mayor Oh recently announced the 9988 Seoul Project and the "Support Policy for the Independence of People with Disabilities."
Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon is visiting a senior care facility in Vienna, Austria, on the 2nd (local time) and touring the facility. Provided by Seoul City
Caritas St. Magdalena is a facility that provides integrated services ranging from home care to inpatient care, rehabilitation, day care, and hospice. The city is working to expand silver and day care centers so that seniors can receive integrated care and support close to their communities. The facilities envisioned by the city are modeled after Vienna's, aiming to become "open, multi-purpose spaces in the heart of the city." Seoul plans to incorporate innovative elements of Vienna's integrated care system, adapting them to local conditions to further develop its own plans for senior care facilities.
Mayor Oh then visited a residential facility for people with disabilities to inspect customized living spaces for residents. The facility offers a variety of housing types, including shared homes for four to six adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and special support housing that provides 24-hour medical and care services. Seoul is also working to transform its current group-living facilities for people with disabilities into individual living spaces consisting of a living room, bedroom, and kitchen. Just as Vienna's facilities provide comprehensive services within a single institution in one area, taking into account the needs of people with disabilities, Seoul also plans to move toward total support services in the future.
Earlier, on July 1, Mayor Oh met with Dean Slazanya Taseva of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) and signed a memorandum of understanding. Established in 2010, IACA is the first international organization dedicated to anti-corruption education, with 77 member countries and four international organizations currently participating. This is the first time IACA has signed a cooperation agreement with a local government. At the event, Mayor Oh stated, "It is now extremely important to go beyond the basic level of integrity, such as not accepting bribes in licensing processes, and to make integrity a genetic, intrinsic value."
Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon is taking a commemorative photo with Dean Slazanya Taseva after signing an MOU with the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) in Vienna, Austria, on the 1st (local time). Provided by Seoul City
Since Seoul received a grade 3 in the comprehensive integrity assessment for public institutions in December 2023, Mayor Oh has been determined to improve the city's integrity. In January last year, he declared that he would lead the city with integrity as a core value, and in July, Seoul became the first metropolitan government to establish a dedicated Integrity Office. Centered around the Integrity Office, the city expanded integrity education and surveyed citizens who had experience with major civil affairs through the "Integrity Happy Call" program. As a result, Seoul regained a grade 1 in the integrity assessment for the first time in 14 years.
For the remainder of his trip, Mayor Oh plans to continue promoting his key policy philosophies, such as "walking with the vulnerable" and "Design Seoul," in various fields. On July 3, he will be the first speaker in the housing supply policy session at the 2025 World Cities Summit Mayors Forum. He will introduce Seoul's innovative cases, including policies to expand the supply of Seoul-style public rental housing to ease housing costs, the long-term lease housing program (SHift), and the "Mirinae House" initiative for newlyweds.
After moving on to Milan, Italy, Mayor Oh will pursue collaborations to promote K-fashion and K-beauty. Since signing a friendship city agreement in 2007, Seoul and Milan have actively cooperated in the fields of economy, culture, fashion, and design. Mayor Oh will first meet with Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala to discuss establishing a bridgehead for promising K-fashion brands to enter the European market. He will also attend fashion and beauty pop-up events in Milan to showcase the appeal of Seoul to Milanese citizens. In addition, Mayor Oh will visit sites of design innovation in downtown Milan to explore ways to enhance the value of "Design Seoul." He is scheduled to visit Porta Nuova, a public space innovation project, and Portello Park, a former car factory site transformed into a garden-style park.
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