15,000 KakaoTalk Friends... "Communicator Mayor" Park Hee-Young Runs the District Even in a Back Brace

Interview with Yongsan District Mayor Hee-Young Park
Proactively Responding by Investigating Similar Cases When Complaints Arise
"The Most Rewarding Change Is Shifting the Perception That 'Yongsan Will Never Change'"
Realizing District Administration That Residents Can Truly Experience

Communication through KakaoTalk chat rooms by Hee-Young Park, mayor of Yongsan District in Seoul, begins a little after 8 a.m. every day. She personally informs residents about the weather, shares greetings, and provides updates on events and activities scheduled in Yongsan for the day, as well as her planned visits. There are no exceptions for weekends or holidays. Communication via social networking services takes place 365 days a year without a break.

Mayor Park said, "I have 15,000 KakaoTalk friends saved on my phone," adding, "Whenever possible, I try to listen directly to residents and find answers as quickly as I can."

Hee-Young Park, mayor of Yongsan District, said, "We are making efforts to proactively and comprehensively manage the district without waiting for complaints to arise, addressing potential inconveniences that may occur in similar environments." Provided by Yongsan District.

When interviewed at the Yongsan District Office on October 15, Mayor Park emphasized, "For a district mayor who stands at the forefront of local administration, on-site administration and communication with residents are of utmost importance." She continued, "Even without a large budget or extensive authority, if the mayor and public officials work together, we have proven countless times over the past three years that even small alleys and old neighborhoods can change." She added, "The very fact that the long-held perception of 'Yongsan will never change' is shifting is the biggest change, achievement, and source of pride for the 8th popularly elected administration."

The "On-Site Communication Relay Meetings" across 16 neighborhoods, which have been underway for two months, are a representative example of Mayor Park's hands-on administrative approach. The meetings began in Huam-dong on September 2 and will conclude in Bogwang-dong on October 22. During this period, Mayor Park and senior district officials visit all 16 neighborhoods, meeting with about 200 heads of professional organizations and approximately 1,600 neighborhood leaders. During the same period, they also visit 93 senior centers within the district. Before and after each neighborhood meeting, Mayor Park visits the local senior centers to meet with elderly residents. Yongsan District has 93 senior centers with around 3,600 members.

Mayor Park explained, "If a complaint comes in about a fallen road mirror, we don't just fix that one spot; instead, we conduct a comprehensive inspection of similar facilities throughout the district. If there is a complaint about cleaning at a senior center, we check all senior centers for cleaning issues. This is how we resolve and prevent problems." She added, "We plan to create a facility management list using an artificial intelligence (AI)-based computerized system so that we can monitor the situation at a glance at any time."

She said, "If a request is unreasonable or restricted by law, I respond by saying 'no,' but I always explain the reasons in detail, and residents understand. Trust is built when you genuinely listen to and empathize with residents."

Last summer, even while wearing a back brace for over a month, Mayor Park visited around 10 sites a day. After slipping and fracturing her back at the district office, she was discharged from the hospital in just 10 days and continued treatment, rehabilitation, and her official duties simultaneously. Earlier this year, she overhauled the cleaning and household waste collection system at six high-traffic locations for the first time in 34 years, establishing a "Monday-to-Sunday" (seven-days-a-week) cleaning system with no holidays. In doing so, she did not allow herself any days off either.

Heeyoung Park, mayor of Yongsan District (center front row), is holding a relay meeting with about 1,600 neighborhood leaders from 16 neighborhoods. The photo shows a field communication meeting in Cheongpa-dong on the 5th of last month. Provided by Yongsan District.

Mayor Park also meets regularly with officials and parents from 18 elementary, middle, and high schools in Yongsan District. These meetings, which began in June, will continue through next month. Mayor Park said, "I have been meeting with parents and principals to hear their opinions, and we have launched a task force to improve convenience facilities and secure safe routes to school." She added, "Although Yongsan tends to receive less funding because of its small student population, we are increasing support in cooperation with the Office of Education."

Deeply interested in educational issues, Mayor Park raised Yongsan District's public education satisfaction ranking from 20th among 25 districts (as of 2021) to 1st (according to the 2023 Seoul Survey). She attributed this to various policies implemented as part of the 8th administration's core pledge to make Yongsan a leading district for education.

Yongsan District is working to be designated as a Special Zone for Educational Internationalization. To this end, in April, the district completed a research project on "Global Education Vitalization and Future Education Development in Yongsan District," and on October 16, it opened the "Yongsan Global Education Support Center" in a youth housing office near Namyeong Station on Subway Line 1. The center offers academic counseling, self-directed learning, character and leadership education, and AI-based learning. In addition, Mayor Park is focusing on achieving visible results during her term, such as establishing the Yongsan Cultural Foundation and seeking designation of Yongsan as a special development promotion district for AI and ICT content industries.

She stated, "Having the mayor respond directly to residents has become the norm in Yongsan and the starting point of change. Rather than promoting 'Hee-Young Park's signature' or 'maker policies,' my goal has been to implement district administration that allows residents to directly experience changes in their daily lives, and I am making that a reality."

Heeyoung Park, mayor of Yongsan District Office, is listening to suggestions and responding during a visiting parent meeting. Provided by Yongsan District Office.