Gwangmyeong Mayor Park Seung-won: "The Answer to Municipal Administration Always Lies in the Voice of Citizens"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Yu Je-seong] It has been revealed that Gwangmyeong Mayor Park Seung-won received 392 tasks from citizens regarding daily life and the future of Gwangmyeong during the "2026 Dialogue with Citizens" conducted over approximately two weeks from January 19-30.

According to Gwangmyeong City on the 1st, Mayor Park visited two districts per day, shared the city's administrative vision and major policies for this year, and carefully listened to the questions and suggestions from attending citizens.

For matters that could be answered immediately, he provided prompt responses on the spot, and for matters requiring departmental review or legal examination, he demonstrated a responsible administrative stance by promising to conduct thorough reviews before implementation.

The most frequently mentioned topics by citizens were urban development, transportation, citizen safety, environment, and recovery of livelihoods. A wide range of diverse opinions were presented, from daily life issues closely related to residents' lives to mid to long-term urban directions.

Among the total 392 suggestions, the fields of roads, sewage, cleaning, and environment closely related to citizens' daily lives accounted for 104 cases, the most; followed by urban development with 61 cases, as nearly half of the city is under development.

In the transportation sector, there were 57 cases, and reflecting difficult livelihood conditions, the economy, employment, welfare, and health sectors saw 47 suggestions.

Mayor Park expressed empathy with each citizen's opinion and presented realistic alternatives and phased solutions. In particular, his clear answers elicited trust and consensus from attending citizens.

Yoon Eun-suk, chairman of the Gwangmyeong branch of the Saemaul Transportation Volunteer Corps, suggested installing road heating systems, saying, "The steep uphill gradients in the area raise concerns about pedestrian safety during winter."

In response, Mayor Park answered, "I will sufficiently reflect the voices from the field and prioritize reviewing dangerous areas first, and will implement road heating installations in stages where possible," demonstrating active commitment to citizen safety.

His decisive action to secure safe school routes for students also stood out.

A resident of Gwangmyeong District 1 suggested speedy completion of the Hyungchung Tunnel used as a school route, and Mayor Park promised, "Considering student safety and inconvenience to citizens, I will complete it as quickly as possible to prevent work delays."

In response to requests to replace dark streetlights near Gwangmun Elementary, Middle, and High Schools with LED lights, he promptly answered, "Since this is directly related to youth safety, I will take necessary measures in required areas immediately."

Mayor Park emphasized that it is most important to check and address safety matters such as pedestrian environments and school routes on the spot, demonstrating a firm commitment to place citizen safety at the center of all responses.

He also presented concrete alternatives to resolve inconveniences in daily life.

Resident B near Triius Gwangmyeong complained about inconvenience from smoking around the bus stop and suggested installing a smoking booth. Mayor Park answered that he would examine feasible installation locations and find ways to reduce resident inconvenience.

Regarding the problem of disorderly parking of bicycles and kickboards in front of Exit 2 of Gwangmyeong Intersection Station, he promised immediate cleanup and said, "We are considering purchasing land for installing a bicycle parking tower," committing to continuous measures for improving the pedestrian environment.

He responded to voices from the welfare field with empathy and policy commitment.

To a citizen requesting improvements in the conditions for elderly employment participation, Mayor Park said, "I deeply sympathize with the difficulties in the field," and added, "Within the legal framework, I will actively review parts that can be improved and reflect them in policy," comforting the citizen's heart.

He also carefully attended to complaints related to major development projects such as the Gwangmyeong-Siheung Third New City and Gwangmyeong-Siheung Techno Valley. Mayor Park said he will make continuous efforts to minimize citizen inconvenience by closely coordinating with related agencies such as Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) and Gyeonggi Housing and Urban Development Corporation (GH).

Meanwhile, the city plans to conduct rapid on-site inspections and departmental reviews of the matters raised during this dialogue with citizens, and through various communication channels such as "Asoha," "Lively Communication at the Scene," and "Our Neighborhood Mayor's Office," it will ensure that citizen opinions are translated into policy.

Mayor Park Seung-won said, "The answer to municipal administration always lies in the voice of citizens," and added, "I will take each opinion from the field as a driving force for Gwangmyeong's development, faithfully reflect it in municipal administration, and create the Gwangmyeong that everyone hopes for."