Rumors about district mayors circulate quietly but widely — reaching officials across the Seoul Metropolitan Government — and leaders would do well to take note
There is an old Korean saying: "Words have no feet, yet they travel a thousand li." It means that rumors spread faster and farther than people expect.
In the civil service world of Seoul and its 25 autonomous districts, a district mayor's reputation circulates quietly — but widely.
Among public officials, a district mayor's integrity is a subject of particularly keen attention.
Not long ago, a senior Seoul Metropolitan Government official shared an interesting story. A relative works as a senior official in one of the districts, and the district mayor there is so clean that staff speak confidently even in front of contractors. When a district mayor is upright, the story went, employees feel proud and can hold their heads high in dealings with outside vendors.
Similar accounts came through other channels as well. A reputation for integrity spreads naturally, both inside and outside the organization.
But there are less encouraging stories, too. A retired official recounted something that happened in one district several years ago. A close aide to the district mayor at the time allegedly demanded budget funds under the guise of consulting fees, prompting an internal audit — after which the district mayor reassigned the official who had conducted the review to a neighborhood community center.
Such accounts, of course, require verification through the parties involved and relevant documentation. However, the very fact that stories like this circulate within the civil service is not something any local leader can afford to dismiss lightly.
District office employees are the people who observe a district mayor most closely — watching how personnel decisions are made, how budgets are spent, and what relationships the mayor maintains with those around them.
With a district mayor holding the power to reassign staff, employees are rarely free to speak openly. Yet what happens inside an organization does not stay buried forever. Sooner or later, word finds its way out through someone.
District budgets are substantial. Many projects — development initiatives, service contracts, construction work, outsourced programs — involve overlapping interests and significant sums. The larger the budget and the more projects involved, the more critical a leader's integrity and fair handling of public business become.
District mayors must start by examining their own inner circle. There must be no grounds for suspicion that they are granting favors to close associates, turning a blind eye to improper demands, or retaliating against employees who raise concerns.
A leader's integrity is not proven through declarations or promotional materials. It shows in how employees assess their mayor, in the attitude contractors bring to their dealings, and in the level of trust residents extend.
A district mayor who does not command the respect of subordinates will struggle to lead the organization effectively. When staff lose faith in their mayor, policy initiatives lose momentum.
As the ninth round of directly elected local government gets under way, there is a phrase district mayors would do well to keep in mind.
Words have no feet, yet they travel a thousand li. And a district mayor's reputation for integrity — or the lack of it — has already spread far further than the mayor may realize.
Ultimately, a leader's true legacy rests not on the headline achievements of a term in office, but on how they are remembered by the staff and residents they served.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
