Kim Guk-hwan, Yeonsu District Councillor: “Job Policy and Songdo Relocation Must Minimise Inconvenience for Old Town Residents”

Kim Guk-hwan, Yeonsu District Councillor (Democratic Party of Korea, Okryeon 2, Yeonsu 1, Cheonghak), raised the issue of inconvenience for residents of the old town due to the relocation of the Job Policy Department to Songdo during the main business report of the Planning and Welfare Committee at the 277th Yeonsu District Council temporary meeting held on February 2. He also highlighted the need to strengthen support for social enterprises and improve the way administrative projects are explained.

Councillor Kim mentioned that the Job Policy Department is located in the second Songdo government building, stating, “While I understand the intention behind the relocation for the convenience of Songdo residents, it is necessary to have measures in place to ensure that residents of the old town do not experience inconvenience.” He pointed out accessibility issues, saying, “There are cases where citizens visit the main office and then have to move back to Songdo.”

In response, Jeong Seung-won, head of the Job Policy Department, said, “Although the Job Policy Department is in Songdo, we are implementing policies targeting the entire Yeonsu District,” and added, “We will connect job seekers from the old town with businesses through the employment information centre on the second floor of the main office and will carry out projects in a balanced manner reflecting local characteristics.”

Councillor Kim further emphasised regarding the support policy for social enterprises, stating, “Social enterprises have a structure that makes it difficult to recover once they collapse,” and stressed, “Given their financial difficulties, the role of the administration is crucial.” He mentioned, “This year, 280 million won has been allocated for job creation projects for social enterprises, so proactive promotion is necessary to ensure that no one misses out on support due to lack of awareness.”

He also stated, “Support that goes beyond simple financial assistance to include market development and connections to fairs is needed to enhance competitiveness,” and called for more detailed policy operations from the Job Policy Department. Director Jeong responded, “We will actively take care of support for social enterprises and expansion of sales channels.”

Additionally, Councillor Kim suggested regarding the names of major projects in the Vision Strategy Office, “The project contents are not easily understood by residents,” and proposed, “There is a need to organise them in a more comprehensible manner.” He said, “Since most core projects are construction and facility projects, changing the names to be more intuitive from the outset could be one approach.”

In response, Choi Ho-seong, head of the Vision Strategy Office, stated, “With the help of the councillors, the major projects are being carried out without any issues,” and added, “We will strive to ensure that residents can actually utilise them.”

Councillor Kim concluded by expressing, “I hope that during the remaining term, administration will be carried out in a way that residents can feel.”