Laughter filled the Gangnam-gu mayor's office on Thursday, the third day of the newly inaugurated ninth directly elected administration.
Gangnam-gu Mayor Kim Hyun-gi had personally invited newly hired civil servants into his office — still lined with orchids sent to congratulate him on his inauguration — for a conversation.
The new employees arrived looking somewhat nervous, but the meeting quickly turned warm as Kim put them at ease with relaxed conversation and thoughtful gestures.
Particularly striking was Kim's approach of reaching across generational lines to initiate conversation himself. One new civil servant added a personal touch by pulling out a phone to show a photo taken with Kim before he took office, adding to the friendly atmosphere.
The gathering — in which the district mayor took the first step toward his staff — is expected to raise the bar for internal communication within the organization. For civil servants just beginning their careers, it is likely to stand as a cherished early memory of public service in Gangnam-gu, while also strengthening their pride and sense of belonging in ways that could improve administrative services for residents.
Im Seong-cheol, chairman of the Gangnam-gu Integrated Civil Servants' Union, said that in 30 years of public service he had rarely seen a district mayor take the initiative to create such a setting for new employees. "I am grateful to Mayor Kim Hyun-gi for reaching out first and opening the lines of communication," he said.
He added that all civil servants would work with a greater sense of responsibility to ensure the mayor's warmth reaches residents directly, delivering public services with a spirit of dedication.
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