[Interview] Lee Seung-ro, Seongbuk District Mayor: "On-site Communication and District Administration for Making Seongbuk a Better Place to Live"

During the 11-day operation period this year, approximately 3,500 residents participated in proposals and discussions, with a total of 37,500 views on live broadcasts streamed on YouTube, showing strong community interest in on-site administration

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] “I will lead Seongbuk by communicating without missing even the smallest voices of the residents at the ‘field,’ which can be called my representative keyword.”

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, emphasized the field- and communication-centered administrative philosophy for the 8th elected term and stated that he will maintain the stability and continuity of the district administration.

The ‘One-Day Field Mayor’s Office’ project, which represents Mayor Lee’s philosophy, is a key project operated since the early days of the 7th elected term in 2018. It was established with the purpose of directly hearing proposals and advice from residents and seeking solutions together for the community. During the 7th term, its effectiveness was proven through various projects such as the eco-friendly smart road heating system and the creation of a youth startup street in the Samyang-ro area of Gireum-dong.

This year, about 3,500 people participated in resident proposals and discussions during the 11 days of operation, and the live broadcasts streamed on YouTube recorded a total of 37,500 views. At the Field Mayor’s Office, conducted both online and offline, residents engaged in passionate proposals and discussions. In September alone, 141 resident proposals were pre-submitted, and 186 proposals were made on the spot through ‘immediate Q&A,’ with responses provided. Notably, this year, on-site proposals accounted for 57% of all proposals, indicating increased interest and demand for communication through the Field Mayor’s Office compared to previous years.

As the first large-scale resident discussion held after COVID-19, the high interest of residents in local issues led to heated debates that lasted until late at night. To encourage more resident participation, the district streamed the event live on the official YouTube channel of Seongbuk-gu Office, ‘SeongbukTV,’ allowing anyone interested to watch the event without location restrictions and participate via real-time chat.

Among the total 327 resident proposals received, the areas where residents felt the most inconvenience, accounting for 72.4%, were ‘road traffic’ and ‘environment.’ Currently, Seongbuk-gu faces severe urban rail issues and road traffic congestion, with the subway Line 4 passing through the district experiencing a congestion rate of 200%. Amid this, the Dongbuk Line light rail is under construction, aiming for completion in 2026. Seongbuk-gu has played a pivotal role in promoting the Dongbuk Line, which passes through five districts, having first proposed the subway in 2006. The introduction of the Dongbuk Line light rail has been a priority project for Mayor Lee since his time as a city council member.

Additionally, resident proposals (complaints) related to redevelopment promotion and district unit planning have shown an increasing trend. Seongbuk-gu is the district with the most urban maintenance projects nationwide, and Mayor Lee is leading the changes in Seongbuk through administrative organizational reforms. The first organizational change implemented was the establishment of the ‘Rapid Promotion Team for Redevelopment and Reconstruction.’ The deputy mayor serves as the team leader, and the director of the Urban Management Bureau as deputy leader. Not only the department in charge of maintenance projects but all departments playing key roles in the urban development roadmap participate. Furthermore, members of the National Assembly and others participate as advisors to concentrate expertise and know-how related to redevelopment and reconstruction projects to meet the diverse needs of residents.

Mayor Lee Seung-ro of Seongbuk-gu stated, “We will carefully review the valuable opinions sent for Seongbuk-gu and actively seek solutions, managing and implementing them proactively.” He added, “We will continue to create a happy and livable Seongbuk for all of us.”

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