Mayor Yeom Tae-young: "I am grateful to the citizens who have led me well over the past 12 years"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] "I am grateful to the citizens who have led me well over the past 12 years."

Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young participated on the 7th in the "2022 Open Dialogue with Citizens (Paldal-gu and Yeongtong-gu)" held at Paldal-gu Office and Yeongtong-gu Office, introducing projects promoted together with citizens during the 5th, 6th, and 7th terms of elected office, reflecting on his three consecutive terms, and expressing gratitude to the citizens.

Mayor Yeom introduced governance policies including 500-person roundtable discussions, citizen planning groups for urban policy, good administration committees, and resident participation budgets, as well as major policies and projects including ▲multi-child Suwon Human Housing ▲voluntary closure of sex trafficking sites near Suwon Station ▲introduction of Suwon e-taxi ▲groundbreaking of Paldal Police Station (scheduled) ▲adjustment of irrational administrative boundaries ▲establishment of a MICE complex ▲opening of the Suwon High Court and Prosecutor's Office ▲realization of Suwon Special City. Citizens who participated in the projects shared their thoughts.

Mr. A, the first resident (November 2018) of "Multi-child Suwon Human Housing" who participated in the Paldal-gu open dialogue, said, "In 2017, I was a basic livelihood security recipient, and raising many children was so difficult that I sometimes felt my children were a burden." He continued, "When I received contact that 'Suwon City will provide housing for multi-child families,' I met with the mayor, and I gained a lot of strength at that time."

Kim Young-eun (chief of neighborhood unit 1, Yeongtong 1-dong), a resident of Cheongmyeong Centrevill Apartments who participated in the Yeongtong-gu open dialogue, said, "Because of irrational administrative boundaries, my children had to attend an elementary school in Yongin City 2 kilometers away, instead of Hwanggok Elementary School which is a 4-minute walk away." She added, "I raised complaints continuously for 6 years, but no one paid attention."

She further expressed gratitude, stating, "Mayor Yeom Tae-young said 'administration exists for citizens' and made great efforts to adjust the irrational administrative boundaries."

Mayor Yeom Tae-young said, "When I took office on July 1, 2010, I promised to 'set a rich table for Suwon citizens,' and I always believed that citizens are the owners of that table as I worked." He continued, "I constantly communicated with citizens and tried to open my heart, and I requested participation."

He further stated, "Administration must start from opening citizens' hearts," and "I introduced various 'citizen participation' governance methods to open citizens' hearts, and created many stages where citizens become the main actors."