Guri mayor says 'all answers in administration lie in the field'

The city of Guri held a "citizen empathy road check" tour in the Galmae-dong area Wednesday to mark the launch of the ninth elected-term administration, with Mayor Shin Dong-hwa listening directly to residents and assessing the direction of city governance.

Shin visited the planned site for the Galmae Municipal Art Museum, Galmae Central Park and the Galmae intersection pedestrian overpass in turn, inspecting key facilities and pending issues at each location.

At the art museum site — his first stop — Shin reviewed the project's progress from the selection of the site through a 2023 public survey to its receipt of a "suitable" rating in a Gyeonggi Province preliminary assessment in June.

After touring the site, Shin urged officials to proceed with the project on the strength of results achieved so far while carefully weighing the city's fiscal conditions and medium- to long-term fiscal burden. "Please review the project's scale and timeline with great care," he said.

At Galmae Central Park, Shin focused on the safety of rest and play facilities and checked the operation and water-quality management of the splash pad. Given that the facility is heavily used by children in summer, he directed staff to pay particular attention to safety, water quality and sanitation, and to step up prevention of infectious diseases such as hand, foot and mouth disease so residents can use the space with peace of mind. He also asked that facilities be managed with care for the safety and comfort of visitors braving the summer heat.

His final stop was the Galmae intersection pedestrian overpass, set to open in mid-August, where he checked last-minute preparations including elevator operation and CCTV connections.

Shin directed officials to work closely with the Korea Land and Housing Corporation, which is handling the finishing work, to ensure the facility opens as soon as possible for safe and convenient public use.

"Water quality and sanitation are paramount at splash pads that many children use," Shin said. "I will personally inspect management conditions on-site to ease residents' concerns about infectious diseases such as hand, foot and mouth disease, and do everything possible to create a safe and pleasant water-play environment where people can feel at ease."

He added that the answers and direction for all administration — from cultural and recreational spaces that improve residents' quality of life to the pedestrian infrastructure they use every day — ultimately lie in the field. "I will move away from desk-bound administration and continue field-centered, communicative governance to build a Guri where citizens are the mayor," he said.

Meanwhile, Guri plans to continue its field-centered approach, strengthening communication with residents and expanding on-the-ground administrative services.