hankyoreh

Nov. 2. (Courtesy of Seoul City)

By Kwon Hyuk-chul, Staff Writer　

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said he would be emphasizing “welfare administration” during his term Wednesday.

“We must make sure no one is sleeping cold and hungry under the skies of Seoul,” Park said at his first regular November managers’ meeting in the large conference room of Seoul City Hall’s Seosumun annex in Seoul’s Central District.

Park also established measures for helping low-income groups during the winter series in an initial report on Oct. 27, the first day of his term.

Referencing Grand National Party attacks during the election campaign that described him as having lived “a life of sponsorship,” Park said Wednesday that he would “live a life of sponsorship from start to finish for welfare services.”

He also indicated that he would be seeking the support of companies and private groups in ensuring welfare services for the working class and requested that the city officials work to examine the reality on the ground and “listen to what people are saying there at all times.”

In reference to the city’s 2012 budget, which needs to be presented to the Seoul Metropolitan Council by Nov. 11, Park said, “Even though the city of Seoul is highly financially independent, it has a lot of liabilities, so some retrenchment and balancing of the budget is unavoidable for right now.”

“We need to end or postpone efforts that are less profitable and feasible and that citizens do not really feel they have benefited from,” Park added.

The new mayor also stressed fairness in the appointment of government employees with the six principles of equitability, communication, responsibility, feeling, sympathy, and growth.

“We are going to disadvantage those who make promotion requests,” he said.

Throughout the meeting, Park used formal, honorific Korean, referring to himself with the humble first person singular jeo. He asked also for a break with the practice of having all the managers stand up when the mayor enters the meeting room.

At the end of the meeting, Park said, “I would like this to be a forum for discussion, not some dry setting where people simply give reports. Let’s make it fun next time.”

He also indicated his sense of responsibility and plans for reform, saying, “I do not plan to be just another mayor. I have turned down offers for higher official positions than mayor in the past.”

At 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, Park headed to the Sillimbon neighborhood of Seoul’s Gwanak District to take part in garbage collection and road cleaning for around one hour with street cleaners, dressed in the same fluorescent-colored uniform. After visiting 30 markets, rental apartments, and other settings as part of a “listening tour” during his election campaign, Park stopped at the same location on the morning of Oct. 25, the last day of the campaign, to meet with street cleaners. At the time, he pledged to “come back when I am mayor.”

After taking part in the cleaning effort, Park said, “I do not plan to simply impose a civic consciousness on people. When we create the right environment, for example by having the city supply receptacles for separation of items for disposal, the citizens will respond as a matter of course.”

Park further emphasized cooperative governance between citizens and the government by saying, “If citizens, companies, and the public sector work together on issues, we can solve them quickly.”

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]