Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun's 'Suwon New Light Meeting' Significantly Closes Gap with Citizens
[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon Special Mayor Lee Jae-jun is receiving great response from citizens through '2025 New Light Meeting - Suwon, Listening to Your Heart,' visiting all 44 neighborhoods to meet residents and discuss city administration plans.
The '2025 New Light Meeting,' which began in Maekyo-dong on September 8, reached the halfway point after being held in 23 neighborhoods by October 24.
The '2025 New Light Meeting' is driving citizen participation through a significantly different approach from previous New Light Meetings. Last year, the meetings were held in large venues such as gymnasiums and performance halls, grouping 3-6 neighborhoods by region. This year, the meetings visit all 44 neighborhoods to meet residents individually.
As a result, the distance between Mayor Lee Jae-jun and residents has become closer, and participants have become more diverse. Beyond neighborhood organization members, parents, university students, youth, apartment complex representatives, daycare center directors, and elementary, middle, and high school principals are participating from various sectors.
After Mayor Lee Jae-jun briefly introduces his city administration plans and each neighborhood's community development plan, he acts as a facilitator to engage with residents in conversation. Residents ask Mayor Lee Jae-jun questions and make suggestions.
Residents ask, Mayor Lee Jae-jun answers in immediate question-and-answer format
The dialogue with residents follows an 'immediate question-and-answer' format. There are no predetermined questions or fixed formats. The mayor holds a microphone and walks through the audience, pointing to residents who raise their hands to receive questions.
When residents ask a question, the mayor answers immediately, and officials from relevant departments sometimes provide supplementary answers. At times, discussions between Mayor Lee Jae-jun and residents take place.
At the Pajaang-dong New Light Meeting on the 23rd, when the president of the Dongwon High School Parent Association requested, "School zone traffic is congested during rush hour, putting students at risk. Please develop countermeasures," the mayor first shared his thoughts and then asked, "Please share the alternatives you parents are considering," listening to their voices.
New Light Meetings typically last about two hours, but when questions become heated, they often exceed the scheduled time.
Requests from residents that can be handled quickly are resolved immediately, and results are reported. Medium and long-term issues requiring budget reviews, design work, and legal examination will be pursued step-by-step through a roadmap. Residents who raised complaints will continue to be informed of the complaint resolution process.
Youth actively participate and make suggestions
This year, youth are actively participating in New Light Meetings and voicing their opinions. At the Yeongdeung 1-dong New Light Meeting held at Younghung Arboretum on October 21, approximately 30 students from Yeongmyeong High School and students from Ajou University participated.
One Yeongmyeong High School student suggested, "I hope Yeongmyeong High School students could enter Younghung Arboretum free of charge."
At the Songduck-dong New Light Meeting held on October 24, students from Songwon Middle School and Cheoncheon High School participated to discuss policies desired by youth.
The 2025 New Light Meeting continues until December 4.
Mayor Lee Jae-jun stated, "Based on the philosophy that citizens' voices become the direction of Suwon, I am listening carefully to each citizen's voice," and added, "I will carefully listen to even the smallest opinions of citizens and reflect them in city administration."