[Special Report] Four Years of Communication through Paju City's "Mobile Mayor's Office"
"Finding Answers On-Site"... Policy Evolves Through Dialogue with Citizens
Citizen Participation Drives Innovation: Paju Pay, Paprika, and More Born from Communication and Collaboration
Mayor Kim Kyungil’s Hands-On Leadership: 172 Sessions, Over 6,300 Citizens Engaged
# The prolonged economic downturn has dried up the flow of money, leaving local small business owners with no means to continue their livelihoods. Their pleas led to the bold decision of issuing Paju Pay, the largest local currency in the country.
# The idea proposed by a small manufacturing business owner, who lamented that there was nowhere to sell even good products, materialized into the Paju City Business Expo, which is now contributing to the revitalization of distribution for local small and medium-sized enterprises.
# The voice of a parent, who appealed for a solution to the significant inconvenience students face due to insufficient public transportation, led to the creation of Paprika, the nation's first student-only commuter shuttle bus.
# The concerns of elementary school parents, who constantly feel anxious because there is nowhere to entrust their children within apartment complexes despite a growing population and an increase in dual-income households, resulted in the establishment of the Paju-Style All Together Care Center. Even in areas not legally required to have such facilities, the city fully covers the operating costs from its own budget.
The Mobile Mayor's Office is becoming a catalyst for activating citizen cooperation across the entire city administration, including discovering new business opportunities and setting long-term tasks. Mayor Kim Kyungil on June 29, 2023, during the 'Mobile Mayor's Office Visiting Educational Sites' event. Provided by Paju City
Paju Pay, Paprika (student-only commuter shuttle bus), and the Paju-Style All Together Care Center are major policies that represent the 8th popularly elected Paju City administration. They share one common trait: the initial policy discussions began at the Mobile Mayor's Office.
Mayor Kim Kyungil launched the Mobile Mayor's Office in September 2022 with the promise, "I will go anywhere citizens call me." Now in the fourth year of his term, this initiative remains unchanged and has become a symbol of citizen-centered innovative administration. Over 37 months, it has operated 172 times, with Mayor Kim meeting a cumulative total of more than 6,300 citizens in person.
Mayor Kim Kyungil emphasized, "On-site communication through the Mobile Mayor's Office goes beyond simply expanding emotional rapport. Its true value lies in drawing voluntary citizen participation in the process of designing and implementing city administration, thereby activating civic cooperation."
The Mobile Mayor's Office has made the vivid voices of citizens-often invisible in desk-bound reports-the source of innovation. A total of 2,077 suggestions, ranging from minor complaints to policy proposals, have been raised on-site. Of these, 51% have been resolved, while 20% are currently being addressed.
Paju City, 'Student-Only Commuter Shuttle Bus_Paprika Opening Ceremony' Scene. Provided by Paju City
The expansion of the country's largest local currency issuance was driven by the pleas of local small business owners struggling amid the prolonged economic downturn, as well as the tangible sales increases experienced by self-employed participants in the Mobile Mayor's Office. Despite a reduction in national funding, Paju City made a bold decision to maintain a year-round 10% incentive and raise the monthly recharge limit to 700,000 won (up to 1 million won during holidays).
The hosting of the Paju City Business Expo began with a proposal from a small manufacturing business owner who, despite making good products, was at a loss for sales channels. The city directly planned and hosted the expo, providing small businesses with opportunities for promotion and securing sales channels. This year, the event was expanded to include overseas buyers, further opening doors for local companies to enter global markets.
The Paju City Business Expo, first held last year as a measure to revitalize distribution for local small manufacturers, originated from a suggestion made by a small business owner at the Mobile Mayor's Office in Munsan-eup in January 2023. The owner said, "There are countless companies registered with the Paju City Business Association, but we don't even know what products they produce or sell. Please consider holding a 'business product exhibition' to strengthen communication among companies and revitalize local distribution."
The solution was for the city to directly plan and host a business expo, gathering outstanding products made by local small and medium-sized enterprises in one place for public promotion and sales. The city actively sought out small businesses eager for opportunities, collected their opinions, and coordinated with related organizations such as the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency. After thorough preparation, the first expo was successfully held last fall.
The effort to approach citizens more closely has also brought significant changes to the mindset of public officials handling complaints. Communication and empathy have encouraged a spirit of innovation among public officials, establishing a culture of "citizen-centered proactive administration," which has been the golden rule of the 8th popularly elected Paju City administration.
The nation's first student-only commuter shuttle bus, Paprika, was launched through the cooperation of Paju City, the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, and the Paju Office of Education. It originated from a parent's suggestion: "Please expand or rearrange bus routes for students who are inconvenienced by a lack of public transportation." Changing routes exclusively for students is practically difficult and requires the consent of transport companies, so it could have been dismissed as unfeasible. However, the proactive administrative spirit of putting citizens first ultimately turned this into a signature innovation of the 8th popularly elected Paju City administration.
Even in the process of seeking an alternative-introducing a commuter bus instead of the impossible demand to adjust public bus routes-the city encountered legal limitations. Nevertheless, Paju City creatively interpreted and applied the "limited license" and "joint transportation agreement" systems, successfully implementing the policy without amending existing laws. Launched in spring 2024 with routes connecting 18 schools in Unjeong New Town, Paprika is set to expand in 2025 to major hubs in the northern region such as Geumchon and Munsan. The program is recognized for guaranteeing safe and convenient commutes for Paju students and for helping to reduce educational disparities through customized routes for each region.
Paju City is devoting significant resources to expanding infrastructure to strengthen the local care system.
The Paju-Style All Together Care Center was established in response to the surge in demand for public care due to population growth and the increase in dual-income households, especially in areas not legally required to have such facilities. The voices of elementary school parents, who appealed to address care blind spots, prompted the city to actively expand the center. As long as a community space is available, the city fully covers the operating costs from its own budget, even in areas without legal obligations, thereby achieving innovation.
The Mobile Mayor's Office embraces not only the concerns of the majority but also the needs of minorities, filling gaps in policy through "empathetic administration." For example, within a month of a resident in Jeokseong-myeon complaining about having to travel far when their child was sick, a pediatrician was dispatched to the Jeokseong Health Branch. Similarly, a mother of a student with developmental disabilities, who lamented the lack of places to go during school vacations, inspired the creation of a vacation care support program for students with developmental disabilities.
Mayor Kim Kyungil stated, "Whenever I communicate with citizens, I always find wise answers. The achievements of Paju City are nothing but the fruits of communication," adding, "The determination to meet citizens' expectations and standards is what has made Paju what it is today."
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