Uljin-gun chief holds first senior staff meeting, calls for fair and people-centered governance

Hwang Yi-ju, the chief of Uljin-gun in North Gyeongsang Province, chaired his first senior staff meeting Monday after taking office, laying out his vision for transparent, accountable governance centered on residents.

"The mindset and attitude of public officials determine the quality of administration and translate into changes that residents can actually feel," Hwang said at the meeting. He urged all officials to uphold the law and its principles while also practicing responsible governance by taking an extra moment to consider issues from the residents' perspective.

Hwang directed staff to conduct thorough advance inspections to prepare for summer natural disasters, including heavy rains and heat waves, and to pursue field-focused safety administration that puts the protection of residents' lives and property first.

He also ordered that all contracting processes — covering construction, procurement and other purchases — be carried out fairly and transparently, so that no cases arise that could appear to favor specific companies or constitute preferential treatment.

Hwang particularly called for a rigorous review of contracts related to the Shinhan-ul Units 3 and 4 construction project to check whether any companies registered in the county only on paper, while actually operating from outside the area, have been awarded work.

"Public officials exist to serve residents, so all work must be guided by the standard of earning their trust," Hwang said. "Uphold the law and its principles strictly, but also practice warm-hearted administration that attentively looks after residents' hardships — as the saying goes, 'even the law has tears.'"