Welcome to the Mayor’s office! There are many

hidden stories about the Mayor’s office which

bustles all day with meetings, discussions,

interviews, and decision-making. This base

camp serves as the main incubator of policy

ideas stemming from the Mayor’s administrative

philosophy and election pledge that “citizens

are the mayors!”

All About the Mayor’s Office

Furniture Made of Wood Wastes

The meeting table at the Mayor’s office is made of recycled wood. Used wood comes from various sectors of ordinary citizen’s lives; drawers used at a hospital, shoe shelves used by kids, chairs of a church, a wardrobe, office desks, etc. The wood scraps with dozens of different stories were reshaped into the Mayor’s desk and meeting table by a carpenter from a social enterprise. The choice to recycle the wood reflects the Mayor’s commitment to remember the citizens’ stories and press forward according to the citizens’ hopes.

Slanted Bookshelves for Communication

There are eye-catching bookshelves at the Mayor’s office. The two bookshelves are tilted on their sides in opposite directions. Yoon Seong-geun designed these bookshelves. He runs a book store named ‘Used Book Store in Wonderland.”

One phase in the center of the bookshelf says,

“ This bookshelf is the key to the communication to solve divided opinions and polarized relationship. Books are stepping stones towards better communications. Communication is not about ‘win and lose.’ It is to fill the gaps. As books in between liaise between two inclined bookshelves, we hope everything disconnected would be connected.”

Small Garden of Hope

Keenly interested in promoting urban

farming, the Mayor has a small kitchen

garden along the window of the office,

where lettuce, chives, and various

other vegetables are planted. Mayor

Park named it ‘Small Garden of Hope’

and Mayor Park always thinks that

citizens’ hopes would sprout just like the

vegetables at his office garden.

Chairs with Stories

Just like the Mayor’s table and desk, 12 chairs tell stories of the citizens. They include a wood chair donated by renowned Korean stitch work artist Han Sangsu, the Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 80, who had used this in her studio for 30 years; a plastic keg for pickled fish, used as a chair for over 37 years in a fish market by Ryu Yangsun, known as an ‘angel of donation’ ; and a chair used by the late civil-rights lawyer Cho Youngrae who devoted his lifetime to the struggle for human rights. The chairs at the Mayor’s office are visible symbols of the human rights, welfare, respect and sacrifice the city government seeks to embody in governance.

Colorful Memos on the Wall

The memo board on which citizens write down what they want from the Mayor has become a ‘must-see’ among visitors to the office. Where did they come from? The Mayor received them on his inauguration day on November 16, 2011 - and during the campaign leading up to his victory. The Mayor bears in mind the citizens’ wishes by reading them again and again during his tenure - upholding the very first promise he made to the voters.

People Who Shape the Future

Documents that changed the world

All About the Mayor’s Office

MAP

ENGLISH

SEOUL,DiscoverHidden Its Stories

Guide to the Exhibition on 6th Floor, Seoul City Hall

People Who Shape the Future

Documents that changed the world

All About the Mayor’s Office

Guide to the Exhibition on 6th Floor, Seoul City Hall

People Who Shape the FutureHere are some of the city government’s best innovations. They make a difference in the daily lives and workplaces of those shaping the future of the capital city.

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Great Change in Subway Construction SiteConcrete Road Decking Panels

Designed to minimize possible damages and prevent slipperiness of metal road decking panels during subway constructions, safe and economical concrete panels were introduced.

Good Bye, Hydroplaning on the Roadways! Grill-shaped Street Inlets

To avoid traffic and electric accidents caused by hydroplaning over puddles on the roads or from poor sewage drainage - grill-shaped street inlets with a better drainage system were invented.

Easy Inspection of StreetlightsStreetlights Repair Cover

Maintenance and repair work on streetlights – or on their ballast stabilizers that can be damaged due to tangled electric and lead wires – can be time-consuming and inconvenient. Innovative repair covers make the work quicker, easier, and more convenient.

Robot-of-all-trades that Unclogs Drainpipes

Watertight Panel for Cutoff Robot to Block Sewage

To clean inside drainpipes, ensure the constant flow of water, a pipe cutoff robot was invented and installed in the riverside in order to block domestic sewage.

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Freeze, Ozone!Method to Get Rid of Remaining Ozone

A highly effective means of purifying ozone gas using anthracite* was developed. Even though ozone is needed to get rid of the distinctive smells and tastes of tap waters, it can be harmful to human bodies.

* Anthracite is a type of very hard coal which burns slowly, producing a lot of heat and very little smoke.

Greens on Artificial RoundVegetation Block Module

To solve difficulties in making a rooftop garden on the curved rooftop exterior of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, vegetation block modules that allow artificial landscaping were developed.

Go Away, Fires! Complex Fire-Fighting Extinguisher

Realizing the need for better solution to protect cultural assets from the fire after the burning down of National Treasure No. 1, Sungnyemun, a comprehensive fire extinguisher was invented that allows the selection of firewater, mix of firewater and abrasive, or carbon dioxide.

Lighter, More Beautiful, EasierConnections Attached to Soundproof Walls

To lessen the noise of expressways, aluminum-made connections that easily attach to sound-absorbing walls at exits were developed. They are easy to maintain and improve the landscape of the city as well.

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Prevent Seoul from FloodingIndoor Equipment to Test Paving Materials for Water Permeability

To avoid flooding in Seoul, where is mainly covered with asphalt and concrete to prevent rainwater from being absorbed into the ground, indoor equipment to test paving materials with water permeability was developed.

11Security Helper on the Move Movable Fire Hose Scroll Facility

To ease inconvenience the firefighters experience when they work with a hose, a manual movable fire hose with no need for electricity was invented. It is effective and easy to use even in a small space.

No Waste, Even A Drop of Water!Anti-leakage Facility

To avoid corrosion and contamination because of agglomerating machines used to purify the water, a durable anti-leakage facility was invented.

Many Hands Make Light WorkAnti-shake Fire Hose Supporter

To make it easier to rid of mud at riverside parks with high water pressure, a hose supporter with stick-type handles and shawls was invented so that two people are able to work together.

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Eco-friendly Free School LunchNot just free lunch, win-win relationships between Seoul and other regions

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An average piece of paper weighs five grams or less – but what it contains can have the power to change the world. Here are ten great documents which changed the environment, welfare, system and administration of Seoul from 1995 to the present.

Documents that Changed the World

Recovered Beauty of Nanjido IslandFrom the island of flowers to the island of wastes, and finally the eco-park

Nanjido* was once a beautiful island with diverse of flowers and plants. However, by 1978 it had become a massive dumping ground for the equivalent of more than 13 million 8.5 ton truckloads of garbage. In May 2002, after 10 years of continued restoration efforts, this environmentally polluted area was reborn as an eco-friendly park dubbed “ World Cup Park,” where is full of scenic fields of reeds and alive with the sounds of narrow-mouthed frogs. Persistence and hard work created a “miracle of Nanjido,” making it possible for the island to become home to 970 different living species.

* Literally, ‘Nan’ means ‘orchid,’ ‘Ji ’ means ‘gromwell,’ and ‘do’ means ‘ island. ’

Nanjido by Gyeomjae, a famous painter of the Joseon Dynasty

Nanjido, used to be called Samdado, where dusts, putrid odors, and flies were the three main inhabitants.

World Cup Park, a heaven for 970 species of animals and plants

Cheonggyecheon Stream Flows with the Course of HistoryNew dream of an ecological stream

It was October 2005 when the 5.8km Cheonggyecheon was finally restored, after two years of reconstruction work. When the asphalt overpass covering the stream underneath was demolished, both history and ecosystem of the stream were uncovered and alive again. About 800 species live in the restored stream and 22 bridges including Gwanggyo and Supyogyo have been restored. The restoration of Cheonggyecheon in the very center of the city epitomizes the value of nature within any economic and cultural framework.

Chronically congested Cheonggye overpass and road

Under the restoration Cheonggyecheon after restoration

Transportation System of Seoul the World Pays Attention Providing the city with full vitality

Median Bus-only Lane

Four Colors of Buses

Although technically the total population of Seoul is about 10 million, during the workday it burgeons to about 20 million due to people commuting in from surrounding areas. That is half of the population of South Korea! In fact, Seoul’s “rush hour” essentially lasts all day long. To deal with the situation, the Seoul Metropolitan Government initiated the Master Plan for Public Transportation in September 2002, and systematically introduced the median bus-only lane, an integrated public transportation transfer system, and other programs to implement what it describes as a human-oriented transportation system. The transportation reforms gave drawn a great amount of attention and praise from around the world for their ingenuity and success. The city of Beijing sent a large-scale research group to study Seoul’s system, and the cities of Hanoi and Hong Kong have both designated the system as worthy of emulating.

First Step for Labor Policy in Accordance with Common Sense Changing temporary workers to permanent workers, necessary to achieve social integration

Investiture Ceremony to Upgrade Irregular Workers to New Regular Workers

Press Conference for the Improving Employment Conditions of Irregular Workers of Seoul City

The total number of temporary, or “irregular,” workers in Korea exceeds 6 million. In other words, 33 workers out of 100 are being temporarily employed. Many Koreans see these people no longer in terms of “none of my business,” but rather in terms of “my family, my friends, and my neighbors.” The increase in the number of irregular workers results from a perspective focused narrowly on short-term efficiency, rather than long-term social consequences, and social polarization has accordingly become more of a serious problem. It is a problem that must be solved to ensure social integration and sustainable future development.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government began tackling the problem in May of 2012 when it upgraded the status of 1,133 irregular workers directly employed by the city government to that of regular workers. From January 1, 2013, it has also started to transform 6,231 irregulars employed indirectly in janitorial and other works into regular workers. Such indirectly employed workers had found themselves excluded even from benefits available under the “ irregular labor system,” usually working in poorer conditions. The City’s efforts have had ripple effects on more than 20 local governments as well as private sectors, creating a virtuous circle in the society.

Meeting with Directly Employed Cleaning Laborers

“Half Tuition,” The Starting Point of True Education Easing student’s financial burdens and making education more publicly available

The 2012 Budget Plan of Seoul City included one particularly notable line item: “KRW 18.2 billion for Implementing Half-price Tuition at the City-administered University of Seoul.” It is the first attempt of its kind in Korea to cut college tuition by half in order to ease the financial burdens of students, many of whom who were forced to have part-time jobs to earn their tuition. Thanks to this program, students are allowed to focus more on their studies, self-improvement, and volunteer activities. In recognition of the City’s support, students promised at a ceremony to become “students for the citizens of Seoul,” declaring they would strive to make a social contribution to the city. The students have developed a strong sense of social contribution by increasing their participation in diverse volunteer activities in the local community. Seoul’s policies have confirmed that “half-price tuition” is not merely a matter of money and the budget, but a vision of how future generations give back when higher education is made more publicly available.

Social Contribution Declaration by Students of University of Seoul

2012 University of Seoul Entrance Ceremony (“Hope Tree”)

In 2011, the Seoul Metropolitan Government went through a huge political period of chaos over proposals for “free school lunch.” A popular referendum on free lunches took place on August 24, 2011, but was dismissed with a voting rate of 25.7 percent. The result was seen as showing the citizens’ strong demand for universal educational welfare. The first measure the newly elected Mayor Park Won-Soon then approved was to provide budget for free lunch program. His final approval led to the provision of eco-friendly free lunches to a total of 670,000 elementary and junior high schools starting in November 2011. The City sees eco-friendly free lunches not as a handout, but as another educational tool to help students build upright characters. It is also a win-win partnership between the city and surrounding farming areas.

Visit to the site of free lunch at schools

Street banner about the popular referendum on free lunch

Root Out 60 Years of Pavement Construction PracticesStop changing paving blocks at the end of the year

Inconvenient and Dangerous Paving Blocks

Real-name Pavement Construction ‘ We’ve done’

The citizens of Seoul walk a combined 2,788 kilometers on the city’s paved streets. That is three times the roundtrip distance along the Gyeongbu Expressway from Seoul to Busan.* A long-standing practice of ripping up and re-paving city blocks at the end of the year had caused major inconvenience for nearly 60 years until the Seoul Metropolitan Government put it to an end. Thanks to the Ten Commandments programs, such as real-name pavement construction, construction closing 11,** and walking safety helper, pedestrians now enjoy much more sensible city pavement patterns. The government’s Plan for Happy Easy Walking, as it is known, was a welcome change from the inconvenience, shoddy construction, and budget waste that went before.

* The southeastern port city of Busan is South Korea’s 2nd largest city.

** No pavement construction after November (the 11th month)

For decades, the Chinese had called Seoul Hanseong(漢城), the old name of Seoul during the Joseon Dynasty. They referred to both Seoul National University and Hanseong University as ‘Hanseong University(漢城大學校),’ even though the two are distinctly different institutions. Even after the diplomatic ties between South Korea and China were formalized in 1992, efforts by the Korean central government level failed to change it. On January 19, 2005, the Seoul Metropolitan Government formally declared the official Chinese characters of Seoul to be ‘首尔(Shŏu’ĕr).’ There was some initial resistance among Chinese people to adopt this new characters, but persistence by the City eventually paid off. These days, our Chinese friends all but universally refer to the South Korean capital using its new characters.

Promotion of Seoul’s Official Chinese characters ‘首尔 ’

Change Seoul’s Chinese Characters into ‘首尔’(Shou’er)Revamping China’s habitual ways of describing Seoul

Seoul’s All-Around Dasan Call Center Serving citizens 24 hours, 365 days – Just dial 120!

2007

What do the citizens of Seoul do when they have inquiries or encounter inconvenience? They dial 120. The ‘120 Dasan Call Center’ opened in September 2007. The Seoul Metropolitan Government chose the name Dasan after holding a contest to nominate ideas that describe the government’s commitment to delivering sincere and exceptional services to citizens. Dasan, the pen name of late Joseon dynasty scholar Jeong Yak-Yong, who was famous for insisting civil servants show not just uprightness but also innovation in their care of the people. Dasan Call Center upholds the spirit of Dasan’s teaching. It deals with 20,000 inquiries on average a day via text messages, sign language for the deaf, foreign languages and social networking services.

Dasan Call Center’s Video Consulting Service

Dasan Call Center

Online Procedures Enhancement for Civil Applications ‘Transparent Seoul ’ that has been exporting to world cities

Ceremony for 2,000,000th Visit to Online Procedures Enhancement for Civil Applications

Seoul-UN Agreement to Promote the Online Procedures Enhancement for Civil Applications (May 8, 2001)

Transparency International President’s Visit

The Seoul Metropolitan Government initiated the Online Procedures Enhancement for Civil Applications in April 1999 with a goal of becoming a ‘transparent government.’ Through this system, citizens are allowed to monitor how their civil complaints and services are handled. TIME magazine described the system as a highly effective means of ensuring clean government, and Transparency International (TI) designated it as the best model for eliminating corruption, encouraging UN member countries to adopt it.

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