[Reporter's Eye] A District Mayor's Phone Call and 'Hands-On Governance'

Not long ago, a post condemning bureaucratic red tape by administrative agencies appeared on a local government's citizen bulletin board.

It was a perfunctory reply, sent without even reading the content of the complaint. The complainant pleaded for 'communication.'

It is no exaggeration to say that 'communication' is an essential social tool in everyday life. The Korean dictionary defines it as 'flowing well without obstruction; mutual understanding of intent without misunderstanding.'

Through an acquaintance, I came to learn of a 'communication man' of a similar type. He is a district mayor in Suwon.

My acquaintance told me that he had unexpectedly received a phone call from the district mayor. When I, as a reporter, asked, "Why would a district mayor call?" he said, "I had filed a complaint, and I got a call asking whether the complaint had been handled well." What followed was moving.

My acquaintance said, "It was a trivial complaint, but the district mayor called to ask 'Were you satisfied?' At first I was quite flustered, but after the call ended I felt very good and was deeply moved."

In a call lasting about two minutes, my acquaintance had the good fortune of witnessing the 'communicating' governance of this district office—and of the district mayor personally.

My acquaintance said, "Having lived in Suwon for more than a decade, this was the first time I have seen or experienced such a public servant, especially a high-ranking one."

Upon hearing this, I put my journalistic spirit to work (?) and thoroughly checked into the district mayor's track record (?) regarding complaint-handling administration, and I too was moved.

The district mayor's response to complainants was neither a one-off event nor for-show governance at the start of his tenure. It was 'hands-on governance' rooted in his conviction.

One public official said, "Even administrative grievances from complaints get resolved when the district mayor steps in, and for minor mistakes by officials, he gives strength with a call of encouragement rather than reproach."

At a time when collective complaints and complaints driven by individual self-interest are increasingly on the rise, I came to know a very pleasant example of communication-based governance.

It is my hope that one district mayor's small practice of communicative governance will spread across all of Suwon, and further to Gyeonggi Province and the entire nation.