[Interview] District Mayor Oh Seung-rok: "I Will Make Nowon a Place Where Today Is Happy and Tomorrow Is Promising"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon District, started his day by sending a letter to all employees on the internal network as he passed the halfway mark of the 7th elected term. Mayor Oh urged, "In the remaining two years, we will become a reliable companion for all residents throughout their life cycles."

Since taking office on July 1, 2018, the past two years for Mayor Oh have been a time to leverage Nowon's strengths and fill in its shortcomings. It has also been a period of passionate days spent tirelessly striving to make Nowon a city residents are proud to live in. Since his inauguration, the total domestic vehicle travel distance has reached 55,700 km. Thanks to these efforts, a meaningful result emerged from a "Perception Survey on District Administration" conducted in June with 700 Nowon residents. Nine out of ten residents positively evaluated the district administration, and eight out of ten expressed satisfaction with living in Nowon.

The most significant changes over the past two years have been prominent in the "healing" sector. The best example is the clearly transformed scenery of the Danghyeoncheon walking trail. The garden has been carefully decorated with large and small flowers, bringing vitality with residents coming out to enjoy the flowers from early morning. In the resident perception survey, over 83% responded positively to the district's efforts in creating flower-lined streets and gardens such as Danghyeoncheon. Additionally, healing towns in various zones, including Bulamsan Azalea Hill, Gyeongchun Line Light Garden, and Yeongchuksan Circular Trail, are also taking shape.

Mayor Oh also turned crises into opportunities for unity. He organized the "Nowon Face Mask Volunteer Corps," distributing 35,000 masks to vulnerable groups. The volunteer corps gained international attention, being featured not only domestically but also by the world's four major news agencies and Germany's national broadcaster.

At the halfway point of his term, Mayor Oh identified "a future city vibrant with jobs" as a key focus. He stated, "We are promoting the establishment of a biomedical complex at Changdong Vehicle Depot and the Driver's License Test Center, the last large-scale development sites in Seoul." He added, "We aim to attract world-class research institutes centered around large hospitals such as Seoul National University Hospital." If a K-POP dedicated performance hall is built in Changdong, cultural performances for overseas tourists can be combined with medical tourism. These plans are expected to create about 80,000 jobs.

Regarding the "KTX Suseo-Uijeongbu Extension Project," which some speculate may have been canceled due to delays, Mayor Oh said, "The extension project must be implemented promptly to address the relative deprivation felt by residents in the northeastern region and for national balanced development."

Below is a Q&A.

- As the COVID-19 crisis prolongs, local government leaders' capabilities are being tested. Do you think Nowon District's capabilities have been sufficiently demonstrated?

▲ The most dangerous thing in a crisis is false information. Anxious residents seek information everywhere, often suffering from damage caused by misinformation spread on the internet and social media. During this COVID-19 crisis, the district used SMS messages from the district office to deliver quick and accurate information. Once confirmed case routes were identified, information was provided via text messages to applicants. Residents came to trust that information from the district office was the fastest and most reliable, alleviating harm and anxiety caused by false information. When confirmed cases surged at Shincheonji Church, the district swiftly identified the church and proactively closed it before Seoul City's closure announcement. The distribution of masks to all residents was similar. When masks were scarce, staff traveled nationwide to collect 1.1 million masks with great difficulty. Public officials packaged them according to household size, and community leaders distributed them to each household, two masks per person. Although only two masks, residents appreciated the district office because they saw the concern and effort behind it. Other policies related to COVID-19, such as establishing Seoul's first temporary residence facility for Chinese international students and operating safe accommodations for families of self-quarantined individuals, were possible because residents cooperated.

- As the district mayor closest to residents' daily lives, how do you foresee the post-COVID era?

▲ In the face of an unprecedented crisis, solidarity and cooperation have shone brightly, and I believe their necessity will increase further. Activities like the "Nowon Face Mask Volunteer Corps" demonstrate that solidarity and cooperation are the most essential virtues in the COVID-19 crisis. When facing a crisis, there is a high possibility of division such as regional or group selfishness. Sometimes individuals or groups become scapegoats and are attacked, but as the Nowon Face Mask Volunteer Corps was introduced not only in Korea but also worldwide, solidarity and cooperation are the directions absolutely necessary in the post-COVID era.

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