Is There a Reason Behind Kim In-ho, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Accelerated 'On-site Visits'?

Since Chairman Kim's election, he has promised to frequently visit sites; following his visit to the Seoul COVID-19 Response Center on the 16th, he visited Ttukdo Arisu Water Purification Center on the 21st, focusing on the issue of water larvae.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The on-site activities of Kim In-ho, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, are gradually gaining momentum. Since the formation of the standing committee chairpersons on the 14th, Chairman Kim has increasingly been visiting disaster sites that have become issues.

This also draws attention as evidence that Chairman Kim's status has risen higher than ever following the sudden death of Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. As Seoul City is being operated under Acting Mayor Seo Jeong-hyeop, the role of the Seoul Metropolitan Council is becoming even more significant.

On the morning of the 16th, Chairman Kim visited the Seoul Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and Namsan Residential Treatment Center, both COVID-19 response sites, to encourage the efforts of employees working hard to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to listen to their difficulties.

On the morning of the 21st, he also made an urgent on-site visit to the Ttukdo Arisu Water Purification Center regarding complaints about larvae in Seoul tap water.

This move appears to follow Chairman Kim’s ambition, expressed immediately after his election, to become a practical chairman who conducts field-centered legislative activities.

On that day, Chairman Kim received a report at the central control room from Seo Dae-hoon, Production Manager of the Seoul Waterworks Authority, about the status and response to larvae found in Jung-gu.

Manager Seo first explained that regarding the complaint about larvae found on the bathroom floor of an officetel in Jung-gu on the 19th, microscopic observation of samples collected by the Seoul Water Research Institute at 4 p.m. on the 20th confirmed that no foreign substances or larvae were found in the tap water.

He reported that the activated carbon adsorption sites at Seoul’s six purification centers are managed with a structure that prevents insect intrusion, and that not only internal comprehensive inspections but also joint inspections with the Ministry of Environment conducted on the 16th and 17th confirmed no abnormalities.

In response, Chairman Kim stated, “Since this is a time when citizens’ interest in surrounding hygiene and disease management is higher than ever due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, please keep in mind that even minor issues can amplify citizens’ anxiety, so I hope you will conduct more thorough inspections and preparations.” He also suggested, “Shortening the replacement cycle of activated carbon adsorption sites somewhat more than before could be one way to ensure safer water quality management.”

Chairman Kim is expected to become a ‘field chairman’ who visits sites as issues arise. This is also interpreted as benchmarking the on-site mayor’s office of former Mayor Park Won-soon, who frequently visited sites during his lifetime.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.