Mayor Park tries to bring together capital’s diverse interests


Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon’s office evokes a sense of instability. Packed into two slanted bookshelves, piles of documents appear on the verge of collapsing. In between, an inverted triangular section holds them together, maintaining a perilous-looking balance.

“Seoul City is like this, divided by opinions and interests that are hard to bridge. What I am doing resembles what the central section does,” Park said.

The former human rights lawyer and civic activist took office in October pledging to improve welfare, the city’s fiscal health and the environment, which he claimed had been undermined by his conservative predecessors.

His tenure has received mixed reviews along political lines. Conservatives attack him for slowing infrastructure investment and back-pedaling on property development at a time the nation faces the threat of stagnation. Progressives praise his focus on the poor and the vulnerable, the environment and participatory democracy.

Park wants to transcend that kind of divide, which he deems unfit for an era marked by diversifying social demands, assertive citizens and communication unlimited by time and space.

“The dispute pitting progressivism and conservatism against each other carries no meaning,” Park said. “It’s the 21st century. Citizens’ demands are as diverse as they can be and huge amounts of information are pouring out. What matters the most to city governance is how effectively and efficiently we draw citizens’ participation and forge true governance by collaboration,” he said.

One side of Park’s office wall speaks to the challenges he faces. It is covered with roughly 1,000 Post-it notes containing citizens’ hand-written wishes. “End school violence,” “More forests are needed,” “Build a society where humanity is respected,” and “Too difficult to raise children,” they read.

He receives an average 460 tweets from citizens per day. A one-fifth are policy suggestions and comments on civil affairs, according to his office. The hyperactive mayor, who cut his teeth in grass-roots movements, is said to have the most meetings with citizens and experts among Korean provincial administrators.

“Good policies can be only made by listening to people. I receive many suggestions and opinions through various channels. I would call it governance by listening,” he said with a disarming grin.

He sums up their common wish as quality of life. It can neither be measured by gross domestic product nor be promoted by material growth and development.

“If the 19th and 20th centuries were the eras of development and growth, now the quality of life and gross national happiness, instead of gross national product, are central,” he said. “Korea is also moving toward a society where human values and creative thinking are more important.”

Park is among the sharpest critics of political conservatism, uncontrolled markets and reckless development.

He was jailed in 1975 for joining a protest against then-President Park Chung-hee, the father of the Saenuri Party’s presidential frontrunner Park Geun-hye.

He is a pioneer of Korea’s moderate civic movement. He co-founded the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy in the mid-1990s and launched the nation’s first social enterprise and an influential charity foundation in the early 2000s. He won the Ramon Magsaysay Award, dubbed Asia’s answer to the Nobel Prize, in 2006.

Early on, he set his eyes on challenges faced by mankind including poverty, climate change, food, fairness and safety. He likes to call himself a “social designer” fostering a just society.

At the helm of the capital, he is putting his vision into practice.

Park cut some of the costly projects of his predecessor, Oh Se-hoon, who he criticized for diverting money from social safety, health and education to decorating the city with lavish architecture and landmarks.

Oh opposed providing free meals to primary students, citing concerns about budget shortages and rich free-riders. On his first day in office Park approved the school-meal policy.

“Welfare is key to overcoming problems we face now. Welfare is not just mere giving. If there is no basic social safety net, society becomes polarized, the middle class collapses, crime increases, and the suicide rate rises,” he said.

But he is vigilant to the danger posed by ill-conceived welfare policies. Late last year, the government and the National Assembly approved free child care services for all infants under 2 regardless of their parents’ financial status. It was implemented despite opposition from local governments which have to chip in 80 percent of the 800-billion won budget. It is currently squeezing the finances of district offices, especially in Seoul.

Park said the policy is also detrimental to children’s development.

“Infants around that age should be taken care of by their parents for better personality development.”

One of his priorities is protecting the environment. He has pushed a range of policies to reduce carbon emissions under the drive,“Removing One Nuclear Plant.”

The city is promoting the use of renewable energy and plans to install solar panels on the roofs of around 10,000 buildings, schools and homes by 2014.

The city government plans to subsidize electric cars. Its think tank is studying plans to restore the eco-system of the Han River that bisects the city.

Many alternative energy sources are still far from commercial use due to low cost-effectiveness. This is why the city is trying to take the lead.

“If investment in renewable energy guarantees high returns, the city does not need to get involved,”he said. To encourage more firms to jump into eco-friendly businesses, he has proposed a method to guarantee investment returns.

In recognition of these efforts, Park was elected in June to the chairmanship of the World Mayors Council on Climate Change. The city also signed a memorandum of understanding the same month with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, an international association of local governments committed to sustainable development, to open its East Asia headquarters in the city in October.

It is part of Lee’s active city diplomacy. He is embarking on a project to spread Seoul’s urban development and management know-how overseas, especially to developing countries. He said the city will actively share its experience in many fields, including sew age, transportation, subway, the social safety and e-governance.

Food safety and the threat of shortage are also on his list of priorities. The city holds a farmers’ market every Saturday in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, which allows farmers and food producers from around the nation to sell directly to consumers.

It also started urban farming on Nodle Island where citizens can raise produce. Around 70 different types of rice were planted in June.

Park’s predecessor initially planned to build an opera house on the island, but Park abolished the plan.

The city expects urban farming to improve the city environment and bring a sense of community.

Park believes urban farming could be a remarkable solution to the high rate of depression, skin problems like atopy, and a high suicide rate that plagues the sprawling metropolis.

“As people raise plants and flowers, they can increase their respect for life.”

By Kim Young-won  (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)