[Interview] Choi Ho-gwon, Yeongdeungpo District Mayor: "Achieving Administrative Innovation through Practical District Management"

Mayor Choi ▲ Requests limited replacement of slogan design (BI) reflecting district administration philosophy ▲ Streamlines reporting from manager to team leader level for key tasks to increase efficiency ▲ Operates 'Budget Waste Reporting Center' to oversee budget execution from residents' perspective ▲ Runs 'Public Institution Function Reorganization TF' to enhance administrative efficiency and reduce excess

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] "There is no free lunch in this world. To realize sustainable administration, we must change the way we work to be more efficient."

Choi Ho-kwon, the mayor of Yeongdeungpo District and a former administrative officer, stated this while pledging to achieve administrative innovation through practical district management.

Mayor Choi, who passed the administrative examination, began his career in 1992 as the head of the Culture and Public Relations Office at Yeongdeungpo District Office. He has served in various public offices including Seoul City Hall, the Blue House, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Science and ICT.

Since taking office, Mayor Choi has significantly reduced protocol and reporting so that employees can focus solely on their work, even instructing them to "use that time to work for the benefit of the residents," earning popularity as a mayor who understands the circumstances of his staff well.

This practical approach of Mayor Choi was clearly reflected recently in the redesign of the district slogan (BI). The district slogan design is a way to better convey the core philosophy guiding the district to its residents through graphic design. Each local government designs slogans such as "Companion·Charming Special City Seoul," "Center of Change, Opportunity Gyeonggi," and "Dream of Incheon, Future of Korea," which are used in various promotional materials.

Since these BIs reflect the philosophy of the head of the local government, they are usually the first to be replaced when a new leader takes office, and delays in replacement without valid reasons can lead to criticism.

Yeongdeungpo District recently completed the design of its district slogan, "Hope·Happiness·Future City Yeongdeungpo," and has begun replacing it. Replacement is being steadily carried out on entrance signs at the district office and community service centers, as well as various facilities.

However, Mayor Choi requested his staff, "Please do not attach the district slogan design to permanent facilities." Despite being the easiest way to communicate his district management philosophy to residents, he instructed that its use be limited.

Therefore, BI will not be replaced on large-scale external comprehensive information boards, banner stands, and street lamps that require significant budgets. Among district office employees, Mayor Choi’s directive has been described as "unprecedented and hard to find similar cases." A district official said, "It seems he judged that unnecessary budget expenditures and administrative inefficiencies caused by BI replacement could not be overlooked."

This practical approach is also evident in communication with employees. Recently, Mayor Choi was surprised when a team leader from a department told him, "This is the first time in my 20 years of public service that I am reporting directly to the mayor."

Mayor Choi said, "A team leader should be the person who understands the work best and, considering their importance and responsibility in the district office, should be able to report directly." He described the previous practice of having reports made by managers or higher as "inefficient, like receiving with the left hand and handing over with the right, then receiving again with the right and passing with the left." He reduced the reporting steps so that team leaders could report directly instead of through managers.

Thus, in the upcoming budget planning and major work plan meetings, the format was changed from managers reporting with team leaders assisting them to team leaders reporting directly, reducing communication steps and increasing efficiency.

One team leader who attended the work report said, "I was nervous about reporting directly to the mayor, but it was a time to communicate about the direction of work and difficulties, not a Q&A about minor numbers," adding, "It will be a great help for future work."

Additionally, Mayor Choi will operate a "Budget Waste Reporting Center" starting next year. The policy is to view district administration from the residents’ perspective and reduce unnecessary budget waste. Reports on budget waste and savings received online and offline will be disclosed quarterly.

Furthermore, to innovate district administration, nine TF teams have been formed and are operating, including the Public Institution Function Reorganization TF, Semi-Industrial Area System Improvement TF, and Companion TF for Single-Person Households and the Vulnerable.

In particular, the Public Institution Function Reorganization TF aims to enhance the efficiency of the establishment purpose and functions of public institutions. Mayor Choi said, "Among the various facilities operated by the district, some were installed and operated as needed without a comprehensive plan, leading to overlapping functions and expansion, which is expected to cause financial pressure." He added, "We will fundamentally examine whether these facilities are truly necessary for residents and carefully review their operation by predicting demand changes and utilizing private resources."

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