Hong visits public housing district right after appointment, then Chuseok traffic sites on inauguration day
Minister says 'the most important thing is the field' at inauguration ceremony
Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Hong Ji-sun spent her first two days in office visiting the field — touring a public housing district on Tuesday and inspecting highway traffic facilities ahead of the Chuseok holiday on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the day her appointment was approved, Hong visited the Bucheon Daejang district, a third-generation new town, and said housing supply is about execution, not planning. At her inauguration ceremony Wednesday, she declared that stabilizing the residential market would be the central focus of her policy agenda.
Immediately after the ceremony, Hong chaired a special Chuseok traffic management meeting, then headed to the Jugam rest stop on the Gyeongbu Expressway and the Korea Expressway Corporation's traffic control center to check for any disruptions to public travel and encourage staff on the ground.
At both the traffic meeting and the control center, Hong said the Chuseok holiday period is expected to be short this year, meaning travel will be concentrated into a brief window. She urged officials to carry out traffic management plans without a hitch so the public can travel safely and conveniently, and called for thorough accident-prevention efforts to ensure safe journeys for those heading home and returning.
At the Jugam rest stop's gas station, she noted that the government had decided to cut fuel prices by 100 won per liter at expressway rest stop stations from Thursday through Sunday, saying the public-sector discount was intended to ease the burden of high fuel costs. She asked staff to be fully prepared for a potential surge in vehicles using the station and to prevent congestion at entry and exit points.
Hong also thanked rest stop workers for their quiet dedication and hard work, urging them to do their best to maintain safety, order and cleanliness at the facility during what is expected to be a congested holiday period.
Having visited housing and traffic sites on two consecutive days since taking office, Hong signaled at her inauguration that she intends to lead as a hands-on, field-oriented minister. In her inaugural address, she said "the most important thing is the field" and called on her staff to close the gap between policy and reality, cut unnecessary paperwork and focus on substance over form.
Meanwhile, Kim Yong-seok, chairman of the Metropolitan Area Transportation Commission, also visited Suseo Station on Wednesday to inspect Chuseok travel preparations and encourage staff. Kim said the integration of high-speed rail services had expanded seat supply and driven a sharp increase in train ridership, and urged staff to deliver top-quality customer service and maintain airtight safety standards as large numbers of holiday travelers make their journeys home and back.
smh@heraldcorp.com
