Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor Choi Dong-min launched the first "Dialogue with Residents" session of his ninth elected term Monday at the Sinseol-dong community center in Seoul, opening a direct channel of communication with local residents.
The program was designed to share the district administration's policy direction for the ninth term and to gather residents' views on neighborhood issues, everyday inconveniences and proposals for local development.
About 100 people attended the inaugural session, including local residents, representatives of civic organizations and officials from related agencies. Choi outlined the administration's policy direction for the ninth term and listened to residents' concerns about key issues in Sinseol-dong and the difficulties they encounter in daily life.
The event proceeded through a national ceremony, introductions of guests, the district mayor's opening remarks, a report on the neighborhood's key projects, and the dialogue session itself. Residents raised opinions across a wide range of areas — living environment, public safety, welfare, transportation and local development. Division heads and department directors attended alongside Choi to respond on the spot; for matters requiring further review, officials explained how they would be handled going forward.
The district plans to run the program not as a one-off event but as an ongoing channel through which residents' opinions feed into district policy. Suggestions received will be reviewed by the relevant departments and assessed comprehensively for urgency, scope of benefit, feasibility and the degree to which residents can feel the impact.
Beginning with Monday's session in Sinseol-dong, "Dialogue with Residents" will be held in all 15 neighborhoods in sequence through July 16. The district intends to listen closely to each neighborhood's concerns and strengthen community-focused administration that residents can feel in their daily lives.
After the dialogue session, Choi visited a senior citizens' center to share a meal with elderly residents and check on their well-being. He said he would listen to their concerns about daily inconveniences and welfare and work to reflect the voices heard on the ground in district policy.
The district plans to continue visiting senior centers after each neighborhood event to maintain ongoing communication with elderly residents.
"The ninth elected term must begin by listening to the voices of residents," Choi said. "I will examine each neighborhood's issues carefully and faithfully reflect what residents have told me in how we run the district."
"I will keep my promise to find answers in the field rather than at a desk, and in residents' voices rather than in documents," he added. "To be a Dongdaemun that leads and a district mayor who delivers, I will listen more often and move more quickly at residents' side."
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