GURI — The city of Guri in Gyeonggi Province, marking 100 days since the start of its ninth popularly elected administration, has begun working directly with residents to address livelihood issues and strengthen two-way communication in local government. The city plans to accelerate its vision of "a Guri where residents are the mayor" by offering tailored policies tied directly to daily life, from jobs and housing for young adults to safer routes to school.
The city said on the 7th that it held a "Talk Concert With 100 Residents" the previous day in the main auditorium on the fifth floor of the Women's Happiness Center. Mayor Shin Dong-hwa, senior officials from relevant city departments and 100 resident representatives — selected to reflect a range of ages, genders, occupations and areas of interest — attended to discuss the city's present and future together.
The event departed from the format of a one-way policy briefing. Instead, the mayor and residents exchanged views on agenda items the participants themselves had prepared, in a participatory, multi-track dialogue. Drawing on questions submitted in advance and proposals raised on the spot, the city laid out specific responses it could take at the local government level.
On job and housing insecurity, the issue of greatest concern to young adults, the city went beyond measures aimed solely at that age group and proposed creating synergy by linking them with middle-aged and older residents. It said it would actively pursue a "cross-generational startup and job support program" that pairs the extensive field experience and expertise accumulated by middle-aged and older residents with the creative ideas and willingness to take risks of younger ones.
The program is regarded as the ninth administration's core employment policy, supporting both the entry of young adults into the labor market and second careers for middle-aged and older residents.
Safety issues close to residents' daily lives were also discussed in depth. Responding to complaints that a shortage of sidewalks around elementary schools in the Beolmal-ro area leaves students exposed to traffic on their way to and from school, Shin said the city would promptly review a range of options to secure space for pedestrians, including restricting vehicle access during morning school hours and designating one-way sections.
The city also decided to make its "Resident Empathy Road Checking" program a regular weekly fixture, with officials from road, transportation and education departments jointly inspecting sites every Wednesday to identify even minor obstacles to pedestrian safety.
Shin again stressed "pragmatism and reform" as the core values guiding the ninth administration. He said the city would give top priority to policies that deliver tangible benefits, including expanding key infrastructure such as roads and railways to improve quality of life, as well as improving welfare for older adults and supporting education for future generations.
"It is deeply meaningful to be able to sit down with residents and discuss the future of our city as we mark 100 days since the ninth administration took office," Shin said. "We will reflect the valuable proposals and voices gathered on the ground as the top priority in city policy and bring about real change in Guri."
