Jung Ye-ji, Bupyeong District Council Member, "We Need to Move Away from Administrative Waste Management and Encourage Citizen Participation"

Jung Ye-ji, a council member from Bupyeong (Democratic Party of Korea·Proportional), urged the need for innovative support measures that can lead to voluntary participation from citizens, moving away from administrative-centered cleanup activities to solve the chronic waste problem in Bupyeong District.

During the resource circulation report at the Urban Environment Committee meeting held on the 28th, Council Member Jung introduced the case of 'Young People Picking Up Trash at Bupyeong Station,' which recently gained attention on SNS with over 500,000 views.

Council Member Jung stated, "There are limits to what the administration can handle in every alley and mountain," and suggested that support from the district level, such as providing actual compensation or volunteer hours, is necessary to ensure that citizens' efforts to create a 'culture where disposing of waste is inconvenient' do not end as a one-time event.

In response, the head of the resource circulation department said, "We will internally review exemplary cases that can collaborate with private volunteers and consider ways to secure sustainability."

In a subsequent inquiry regarding environmental conservation, Council Member Jung strongly criticized the department for its 'lack of environmental awareness.' In particular, she directly refuted the department's concerns that the 'flagship species' selection project she has been diligently promoting could hinder development.

Council Member Jung emphasized, "Flagship species are a symbolic concept that promotes ecological value and encourages resident participation, not a legal regulation," and pointed out that it is a neglect of duty for the department responsible for environmental preservation to fail to properly distinguish between 'endangered species' and 'flagship species' while prioritizing development logic. She also demanded thorough education and awareness improvement at the district office level, mentioning inappropriate remarks made by department officials during the meeting.

Additionally, Council Member Jung conducted meticulous legislative activities by ordering thorough water quality management of the 'Swan and Lightning Springs,' which lack sterilizers due to power installation issues, and strengthening systematic management and public awareness of invasive species such as 'wolf turtles.'

Council Member Jung emphasized, "I will closely monitor whether the environmental plan to be established by February adequately reflects the protection of flagship species and citizen participation-oriented resource circulation measures."