Seodaemun-gu Mayor Moon Seok-jin to Publish 'Local Government Declaration of Independence' on the 15th

Documenting 12 Years of Seodaemun Local Government Activities in 50 Q&A... Publication Celebration to Be Held at Yonsei University Alumni Hall on the 15th at 2 PM

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Moon Seok-jin, Mayor of Seodaemun District Office, is publishing a book titled "Declaration of Independence of Local Governments" and will hold a publication commemorative event at 2 p.m. on the 15th at Yonsei University Alumni Hall.

As the subtitle "12 Years of Activities of Seodaemun Local Government" suggests, this book contains major achievements in various fields of district administration that Mayor Moon has carried out during the 5th, 6th, and 7th terms of direct elections, presented in the form of 50 questions and answers across chapters 1 to 6.

Mayor Moon stated, "The reason for using the term 'Declaration of Independence' in the book title is my conviction that our country can develop further when the central government and local governments are reestablished as equals rather than in a hierarchical structure." He added, "The purpose of this book is to demonstrate that the capabilities of local governments have now sufficiently grown by introducing the excellent cases that Seodaemun local government has done well so far, and through this, to prove that the time has come to grant local governments more authority and responsibility."

In Chapter 1, "Innovation," achievements such as the creation of a barrier-free trail in response to the question "Can people with disabilities enjoy mountain hiking conveniently?", the establishment of Yonsei-ro public transportation-only zone in response to "Can a plaza be created in a bustling area?", and the transformation of community centers into welfare hubs in response to "Are community centers only places for civil complaints?" are introduced.

Chapter 2, "Vitality," describes cases such as the creation of "Youth Hangout Comma" and "Sinchon S-Cube" in response to issues about "Creative use of underground passages" and "Cooperation between local governments and universities," respectively.

Chapter 3, "Transition," covers the "Muakjae Sky Bridge" in response to the question "Can disconnected mountains be connected?", while Chapter 4, "Coexistence," includes the process of creating the "Yonsei-ro Smart Road Shop" in response to "Is the only solution to street vendor regulation demolition?"

Chapter 5, "Inclusion," looks at the "100 Families Embrace Project" in response to "Can the culture of donation be linked to welfare projects?", and Chapter 6, "Co-prosperity," examines the "Digital Tutor Project" initiated in response to "How can we support changes in the education field due to COVID-19?"

In the foreword, Mayor Moon Seok-jin said, "If cities, counties, and districts nationwide benchmark just one good policy from each other, our society will progress much faster," and added, "I hope this book can be of some help in such development."

In fact, the book includes an appendix titled "Benchmarking Reference Materials at a Glance" to assist other local governments in planning and implementing projects.

For each of the 50 projects, concise answers are provided to questions such as ▲What was done? ▲When was it done? ▲What effects did it have? ▲What was the most difficult part? ▲How was the difficulty overcome? ▲Are there any reference materials?

Under the slogan "Beautiful Change, Open Administration, Happy City," Seodaemun District has established itself as a representative welfare autonomous district in Seoul, recognized by both insiders and outsiders, through the 5th to 7th terms led by Mayor Moon.

Mayor Moon Seok-jin emphasized, "Even if we overcome the COVID-19 crisis well, it will be difficult to return to the previous way of life," and added, "At times like this, it can be an opportunity to highlight the strengths of basic local governments, which are closest to residents and can sensitively respond to their voices, including socially vulnerable groups."

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