Governor Nam Kyung-pul: "I will not let the people's wishes go in vain"

Governor Nam Kyung-pul of Gyeonggi Province expressed his determination to make every effort to operate provincial administration so that the people's wishes do not go to waste.

On the 14th, Governor Nam invited nine residents to his office and held a communication session with the people on the theme of "What the People of Gyeonggi Hope for from the Governor in 2015," stating, "I will reflect the suggestions you have made in provincial administration so that the people's wishes do not disappear in vain."

The gathering included residents from all walks of life living in the province, including job seekers, working mothers, farmers, market vendors, married immigrant women, female bus drivers, and university students. From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., they spent two hours in conversation with Governor Nam about their hopes for Gyeonggi Province.

As the participating residents took turns presenting their suggestions, Governor Nam demonstrated active communication by relating his own experiences to empathize with the residents' perspectives and introducing related campaign promises and policy directions to be pursued in the sixth popular election term.

Particularly noteworthy was when he listened to a working mother named Jeong from Namyangju (37, female) struggling with childcare issues while raising two children, and a parent named Lee from Hwaseong (47, male) requesting strengthened morning and after-school activities following the implementation of school entry before 9 a.m., he introduced the "Ttabok Village" being promoted as a campaign promise while expressing his commitment to work toward "community recovery."

Governor Nam stated, "Low birth rates are a structural social problem. Even when children are born, they are difficult to raise, so people don't have them; even after marriage, it becomes difficult to maintain and develop a family, so people don't marry at all. I will work to resolve this," and explained, "When community is recovered, as our mothers and fathers did in the past, shared childcare communities where neighborhoods raise children together will emerge. Ttabok Village is created by combining policy support and community recovery."

Regarding morning education and after-school education, he said, "(Policies) have been decided by politicians gathered together until now, but Gyeonggi Province will decide with parents present," and added, "We will conduct surveys centered on the needs of users and add data analysis to create effective policies."

In response to a suggestion to improve public transportation for commuting and school commutes, Governor Nam introduced the "Good Morning Bus" and promised to create good policies.

A university student named Im from Yongin (23, male) said, "I attend school between Seoul and Yongin campuses, and it takes 2 hours to go from home (Yongin) to Seoul, and even from one part of Yongin to another part of Yongin, it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes. After the reserved seat system issue, metropolitan buses have increased, but office workers and students still haven't felt the difference. I wish express buses could be increased at least during commute times."

In response, Governor Nam explained, "For example, by creating a transfer center in Gwanggyo and East Suwon, and another in Singal, with buses departing every two or three minutes to drop you off at a certain point in Seoul, from where you can immediately move by subway and bus—this is the 'Good Morning Bus.' Ideally, policy would work like a magic wand and happen instantly, but there are many things to resolve such as legal issues. We will prepare well and create good policies," he answered.

The genuine suggestions from participating residents, including praise for Gyeonggi Province policies and policy recommendations, also drew attention.

Kim from Bucheon (57, male), who received help from Gyeonggi Province's traditional market support policies, said, "Our store was selected as a premium store through Gyeonggi Province's support, and since then, our entire market has been changing.

As more customers visit the premium stores, merchants are voluntarily participating in customer service initiatives, and the devastated commercial area is recovering.

University student Im said, "To earn tuition and living expenses, I have to work part-time, but when I try to gain career experience through good internships, I can't survive on 'passion pay,' and to earn money, I have to work in fields unrelated to my career path. I hope that in Gyeonggi Province at least, this gap disappears and the frightening term 'passion pay' goes away."

Han from Suwon (28, female), representing married immigrant women, said, "My son was born and raised in Korea, but as he grows older, the bullying grows too. The term 'multicultural' itself is perceived as being disrespected and needing help. I wish the term 'multicultural family' would disappear," drawing agreement from participants.

Governor Nam responded, "Listening to your words, we all felt ashamed. We worked hard on multicultural policies in Gyeonggi Province and took pride in our work, but I realized it could conversely be the beginning of discrimination. Foreign immigrants bring diversity and vitality to our country, and we should rather be grateful for them," he said.

Seo from Suwon (24, female), participating as a job seeker, said, "While preparing for employment, I felt that developing practical skills was more important than credentials, but it was difficult to look into internships while earning tuition," and requested that Gyeonggi Province provide direct and indirect opportunities for workplace experience.

Seo also said, "I received a lot of help from the Youth New Deal and the Gyeonggi Employment Portal 'Into-in' conducted by Gyeonggi Province, but the Youth New Deal has few beneficiaries and Into-in is still not well known, which is unfortunate. I request wider publicity so more college students can utilize the Youth New Deal and Into-in."

An from Gunpo (57, male), who retired from a company where he worked for 32 years and has been job hunting for six months, said, "I still have the strength and will to work, but I can't find employment because of my age. I hope the province will create and support programs that allow retirees to use their experience to work at other companies."

Governor Nam encouraged him, saying, "There are said to be many vacant jobs in small and medium-sized enterprises in Gyeonggi Province. The problem is mismatch, but if you have the strength and willingness to work, you should be able to find jobs."

Concluding the gathering, Governor Nam said, "If asked to name the most rewarding work since becoming governor, it would be 'Let's Meet the Governor,' where I meet with residents for two hours every week to consult on complaints. Sometimes for complaints that cannot be resolved, I frankly tell them it cannot be done and ask them to return to their daily lives. Even when problems are not resolved, watching people find their footing again makes me think this is communication and healing," he said.