Busan is good

Busan Expands On-Site Engagement through Town Hall Dialogue… Holds “Old Downtown Town Hall Meeting”

내용

Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that it will hold the “Reaching Every Corner of Busan, Transforming Citizens’ Daily Lives – Old Downtown Town Hall Meeting” today, October 6, at 3:30 p.m. in the Fashion Convention Hall on the sixth floor of the Busan Fashion Biz Center, with approximately 200 residents from Jung-gu, Seo-gu, Dong-gu, and Yeongdo-gu.

The town hall meeting is a follow-up engagement to the “Reaching Every Corner of Busan, Transforming Citizens’ Daily Lives – On-Site Communication and Cooperation Project for 206 Neighborhoods,” an initiative of the 9th elected municipal administration.

Going a step beyond the Mayor personally visiting local communities to hear directly from residents, the meeting will bring together residents from areas where on-site visits have been completed to discuss major local issues and the future of Busan.

The approximately 90-minute program will consist of a “Future Vision Briefing for the 9th Elected Municipal Administration,” “Presentations of Local Issues by District Mayors and Responses from the Mayor,” an “Open Discussion with Citizens,” and a commemorative photo session.

Mayor Chun previously visited Dong-gu and Jung-gu on September 15, followed by Seo-gu and Yeongdo-gu on September 21, to personally inspect living conditions in the old downtown area and hear from residents and local stakeholders.

In Dong-gu, he visited locations including the Dongcheon pedestrian deck and the hillside road area to examine the pedestrian environment and aging facilities. In Jung-gu, he visited the Yeongju-dong uphill monorail and the community welfare center, among other sites, to hear directly about residents’ daily lives and local conditions.

He then visited sites in Seo-gu, including the Seo-gu Community Welfare Center, Cheonmasan Mountain Multipurpose Observatory, Ami Reservoir, and Songdo Beach, to review the living and tourism environment. In Yeongdo-gu, he visited the Namhang waterfront X-sports plaza and the Dongsam-dong intersection, among other locations, to examine issues related to recreational sports and transportation.

The event will provide a meaningful opportunity to bring together the results of the on-site engagement activities conducted throughout the old downtown area. Beyond simply visiting local sites and listening to difficulties, it is intended to serve as a public forum for broad discussion of major local issues, the future development of the old downtown area, and, ultimately, the future of Busan.

Mayor Chun will first explain the key priorities of the 9th elected municipal administration and Busan’s future development direction to citizens. The mayors of Jung-gu, Seo-gu, Dong-gu, and Yeongdo-gu will then present local issues, to which Mayor Chun will respond directly as they discuss ways for Busan Metropolitan City and the districts to work together.

Above all, the centerpiece of the event will be the “Open Discussion with Citizens.” With no predetermined topic restrictions, participating citizens will be free to ask questions on site, and the Mayor will respond directly. When necessary, relevant assistant mayors, bureau directors, and department heads will provide additional details.

The town hall meeting is particularly significant because it expands the “on-site engagement” approach being pursued since the launch of the 9th elected municipal administration.

While visits to individual districts and counties focus on directly examining locations closely connected to residents’ daily lives and seeking solutions, the town hall meetings serve as follow-up forums where residents from areas in which on-site visits have been completed can gather in one place to discuss local issues and the future from a broader perspective.

Beginning with the old downtown area, Busan Metropolitan City plans to continue holding town hall meetings sequentially through December for areas in eastern, central, and western Busan where district and county on-site visits have been completed.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, “The reason we go directly into the community is ultimately to find the path Busan should take by listening to the voices of its citizens. We will bring together once again the stories we heard from citizens on site and carefully ensure that those voices lead to real changes in city administration.”

He added, “I hope this town hall meeting, beginning in the old downtown area, will mark the start of a new form of communication in which citizens’ voices help shape Busan’s tomorrow.”