Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young: "Now is the Time to Prepare for 'With Corona'"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young said, "Now is the time to prepare for 'With Corona.'"

At an "October Expanded Executive Meeting" held on the 28th in a hybrid format combining non-face-to-face and face-to-face methods, Mayor Yeom stated this premise and emphasized, "As social distancing continues due to the spread of COVID-19, self-employed workers and small business owners are struggling to get through each day. We must develop measures that can give hope to self-employed workers and small business owners."

Mayor Yeom Tae-young's "With Corona" is interpreted to mean that rather than expecting the complete end of COVID-19, a new quarantine system that reduces the fatality rate should be established so that coexistence with COVID-19 can be prepared.

Mayor Yeom has been consistently proposing "transition to With Corona" through personal social media and media interviews.

On the 23rd, Mayor Yeom stated on his personal social media, "As COVID-19 vaccinations increase, the fatality rate has dropped significantly, but the economic fatality rate of small business owners has reached a critical point." He added, "The collapse of small businesses could lead to stagnation of the local economy and further lead to the collapse of the middle class." He went on to argue, "Now, we must change quarantine measures to a 'phased return to daily life' approach focused on managing severe cases."

Meanwhile, at the expanded executive meeting held that day, Kim Hee-gyeom, former director of the Disaster and Safety Management Division of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, served as a speaker for a communication seminar with the topic of "the image of public officials that Suwon citizens want."

Former Director Kim presented three basic principles that public officials should have: ▲expert competence ▲right mindset ▲correct direction, and emphasized, "Public officials must have the competence to perform given tasks at the highest level and maintain an attitude of working for citizens." He further urged, "Continuously try to communicate with citizens, think from their perspective, and listen to the voices of citizens."

He also stated, "Suwon citizens have high expectations for the 'Suwon Special City' launching in January next year," and emphasized, "Suwon City public officials must contemplate the future of Suwon City and work with passion to create a special city that meets citizens' expectations."