Gwangju Mayor Park Kwan-yeol steps up outreach drive with site visits under '100-Day Direct Field' initiative

Gwangju, led by Mayor Park Kwan-yeol, visited local business sites Monday to inspect environmental management practices and hear firsthand concerns from companies, as part of the "100-Day Direct Field" initiative — the centerpiece of the city's outreach agenda under the ninth term of elected local government.

Park toured facilities with air-pollutant emission systems, reviewing the operational status of emission and abatement equipment and identifying difficulties companies face in meeting environmental management requirements.

The visit was organized to directly assess how businesses operate their air-pollutant emission and control systems and to gather on-the-ground feedback on the challenges that arise in fulfilling environmental compliance obligations.

Park discussed abatement facility operations and ways to reduce air-pollutant emissions with company officials, and exchanged views on administrative support measures that could help businesses meet their environmental obligations more smoothly.

Based on the concerns identified during the visit, the city plans to review support measures that balance business activity with environmental protection and to continue expanding field-based communication.

"Listening directly to voices from the field is the starting point for solving problems," Park said. "We will keep communicating with businesses and pursue proactive administration so that improvements in air quality and stronger business competitiveness can be achieved together."

Earlier, on Saturday, the city held a regular joint session of the Youth Participation Committee and the Youth Education Council at the Gwangju Youth Training Center, where 40 youth council members from across the city presented policy proposals they had developed themselves.

The session was also organized as part of the "100-Day Direct Field" initiative. Youth members presented policy ideas developed through research and discussion, organized under five standing committees covering culture and sports, ecology and the environment, health and safety, education and career development, and character and self-governance.

"The voices of young people go beyond simple opinions — they are valuable assets that can shape the city's future," Park said. "Just as the spirit of the 'Direct Mayor's Office' is about meeting citizens in person, we will take their proposals seriously and work to reflect them in city administration."

The interim proposals presented that day will undergo further refinement before being formally presented at a youth policy proposal showcase scheduled for September.