Hwaseong Special City Mayor Jung Myeong-keun: "Tong and Ri Leaders are Essential Community Leaders Serving as Solid Bridges"

Hwaseong Special City held the "2026 Hwaseong Special City Tong and Ri Leaders Competency Enhancement Training" on the 11th at the Grand Ballroom of Pureumirhotel in Annyeong-dong.

The training was organized with the participation of 225 tong and ri leaders, primarily newly appointed leaders, to strengthen their job competencies and reinforce their roles and responsibilities as community leaders.

The training consisted of Part 1 featuring a special lecture on the roles and leadership of tong and ri leaders, and Part 2 featuring interactive and participatory programs. In Part 1, participants reviewed the roles tong and ri leaders perform in the field and the attitude they should possess as community leaders. In Part 2, through interactive programs, participants reflected on the importance of communication and cooperation.

Prior to the special lecture, the city also introduced the main features and usage methods of "Smart Village Broadcasting," a mobile village broadcasting application exclusively for tong and ri leaders. Smart Village Broadcasting is a mobile village broadcasting system that allows tong and ri leaders to use smartphones to deliver village news, administrative information, and disaster and safety information to residents. It is expected to help supplement existing broadcasting equipment and deliver necessary information to residents quickly.

Hwaseong Special City Mayor Jung Myeong-keun, who visited the training site, encouraged the tong and ri leaders, stating, "Tong and ri leaders are the closest to citizens, listen to residents' voices, and serve as essential leaders of the community connecting administration and residents." He continued, "To realize the municipal vision of the 9th popularly elected administration, 'Everyone's Happiness, Greater Hwaseong,' the roles of you tong and ri leaders who create citizen-centered municipal administration based on the values of growth, inclusion, and fairness are very important."

He added, "I hope this training will help improve residents' communication capabilities and assist in leading the community," and said, "Going forward, we will continue to provide necessary support so that tong and ri leaders can serve as solid bridges connecting residents and administration."

Meanwhile, approximately 1,000 tong and ri leaders are currently active in 29 eup, myeon, and dong (towns and districts) in Hwaseong Special City. They perform various roles as community leaders connecting administration and residents, including promotion of municipal policies, gathering of residents' opinions, identification of blind spots in welfare services, support for resident registration verification, cooperation with civil defense duties, and activation of resident communities.