[Lee Dong-uk, senior specialist, Yeongyang-gun Council]
[Lee Dong-uk, senior specialist, Yeongyang-gun Council]

In the hunched figure of a farmer heading out to the fields at dawn, hands cracked and calloused from hard labor, and in the weary eyes of a small-business owner keeping watch over an empty shop with a heavy sigh, we read the joys and sorrows — and the sincerity — of the people who hold this land together.

It is because of these residents, who carve out a living each day against the harsh reality of regional depopulation and biting economic hardship, that Yeongyang-gun still breathes and moves. At every one of those exhausting yet noble moments of daily life, this council must be the first to run to their side and extend a hand.

The tree of local self-governance bears abundant fruit not because of the splendor of its systems, but because a spirit of genuine warmth has taken root in every corner of residents' lives.

This is exactly why the first steps of the 10th Yeongyang-gun Council, launched with fresh resolve, stir such excitement. The warmth of communication and change the 10th Council brings to Yeongyang — a community still passing through a season of hardship — raises strong anticipation for the future ahead.

The future of the 10th Yeongyang-gun Council — one that moves residents deeply and resonates with them — begins with three commitments.

The first is sincere, on-the-ground communication that wipes away residents' tears. The politics of a council belong not on a gleaming podium but in the dusty fields and in the everyday spaces where ordinary people live.

A council that stands beside farmers struggling to protect their crops through scorching heat and bitter cold, that warmly takes the hands of elderly residents voicing the small frustrations of daily life, and says, "We will find the way together" — that genuine desire to listen to every resident's quiet voice and share in their pain is the greatest force for winning people's hearts.

The second is warm policy that brings real change to residents' lives. The council's true capacity lies in crafting policy residents can feel in their daily lives, not merely processing formal paperwork and standardized procedures. Researching policy that tends to the health and welfare of the elderly, nurtures the hope that young people can put down roots in their hometown, and provides meaningful support to protect farm household incomes goes beyond simple administrative oversight; it will become a beacon lighting the way to Yeongyang's tomorrow.

The third is a spirit of cooperation and harmony in council affairs, with residents' happiness as the sole concern. A council that sets aside partisan calculation, recognizes no divide between "you" and "me," and unites around the single goal of residents' well-being and Yeongyang's development gives the community a profound sense of reassurance and trust. Council activities grounded in rational cooperation — breaking down walls of conflict, putting heads together, and showing consideration for one another — will build a sturdy foundation of trust in the hearts of residents who have long grown weary.

When the council becomes residents' closest neighbor, sharing in their joys and sorrows, Yeongyang will become a place of hope that no storm can shake. It is my sincere wish that the 10th Yeongyang-gun Council never forgets the warm, original spirit it held at its inauguration, and that it becomes a steadfast pillar tending most deeply to the lives of the people it serves.

As a resident of this community, I offer my wholehearted support to the hopeful journey of the 10th Yeongyang-gun Council — a council that listens with its heart, missing not a single voice, and that will light the way to Yeongyang's tomorrow like a lighthouse guiding travelers through the darkest night.


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com