"Barrier-Free Administration, Substance is More Important than Name"... Bupyeong District Council Member Yoo Jeong-ok Calls for 'Meticulous Welfare'

The Incheon Bupyeong District Council has strongly urged Bupyeong District to enhance administrative accessibility for socially vulnerable groups such as the disabled and youth, and to strengthen the transparency of the formation of resident self-governing bodies.

Bupyeong District Council Member Yoo Jeong-ok (People Power Party·Bupyeong 3-dong, Sangok 3·4-dong, Sipjeong 1·2-dong) addressed key issues related to people's livelihoods during the major business report at the 274th extraordinary session of the Administrative Welfare Committee held on the 30th.

Member Yoo first inspected the status of the introduction of 'Barrier-Free' certified unmanned civil service terminals (kiosks) in the government building, targeting the General Affairs Department and the Civil Service and Land Department. She pointed out that "the existing devices were often too high or inconvenient for the disabled to use," and requested that for the newly introduced devices, "do not just purchase certified products, but thoroughly verify whether features like braille or keypads for visually impaired users are effective for the actual users before installation."

The issue of 'fairness' regarding the appointment of new members to the resident self-governing bodies currently underway in 15 districts was also brought to the table.

Bupyeong District changed the selection method from a lottery system to a selection committee review system. Member Yoo emphasized that "the selection committee method is key to transparency, but complaints are arising from residents who were not selected, raising doubts about fairness," and urged that "the selection committee should diversify its members to include former public officials or external experts to ensure objectivity in the review, and district heads should think more about creating a transparent composition."

She also called for a proactive change in the department's attitude towards youth policies. While welcoming the resumption of the 'Youth Participation Committee,' which had not been operational for a while due to budget constraints, she stated, "A committee that listens to the voices of youth should not stop due to a budget of just over 300,000 won," and asserted that "this is an essential project that must continue even if national funding is cut, by using district funds if necessary."

Additionally, she requested that the differences in administrative terms such as 'out-of-home youth (runaway youth)' and 'out-of-school youth' be clearly understood, so that tailored support can be provided to at-risk youth who are in the blind spots.

Member Yoo stated, "Public officials should carry out meticulous administration without any gaps in their duties even in changed positions," and emphasized, "Especially, please take the lead in creating a 'Barrier-Free Bupyeong' so that socially vulnerable individuals are not excluded from administrative services."