"I will supply residents with quality public housing — tentatively called 'constitutional housing.'" That was the promise Cho Yu-jin, district mayor of Seoul's Yeongdeungpo-gu, put at the top of her platform for the June 3 local elections, under the banner of declaring Yeongdeungpo a "constitutional city." To deliver on it, she has proposed holding an annual citizens' assembly on Dec. 3 — the date the government is seeking to designate as National People's Sovereignty Day — and making constitutional civic education mandatory.
Cho's deep engagement with the constitution traces back to former President Roh Moo-hyun. She served as an administrative official at Cheong Wa Dae during the Roh administration. Roh suggested to her — a Seoul National University law graduate — that she try to bridge constitutional principles and politics. Monitoring the president's governance through a constitutional lens became her work. Now a district mayor elected through the June 3 local elections, she views housing — residents' top concern — through that same constitutional prism. "When I asked what the constitution could actually do for us," she said, "I concluded it should ensure people have a home as the foundation of their lives." The Herald Business sat down with Cho on Thursday to hear her vision for the ninth term of elected local governance. The following is an edited transcript.
— It has been nearly 50 days since you took office. What has the experience been like?
▶ The more I do, the more there is to do. It is like what happened when telescope technology improved and what looked like a single dot turned out to be an entire galaxy. That is how I feel. From the outside, running a district office looked like one small dot. Once inside, I found much larger problems. I cannot do everything myself — I have to pick and focus on key campaign pledges and major complaints. But I cannot only do that. That is why I set up the direct hotline I call the "communication phone."
— What prompted you to open a direct hotline to communicate with residents?
▶ I am an elected public official. Communication has to be part of daily life — otherwise you forget your purpose. I was on the phone with a constituent right before this interview. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking you are someone important because of the authority this position carries. Staying in touch with residents keeps me grounded and stops me from losing perspective.
— It has been about 10 days since you opened the hotline. What kinds of complaints have come in?
▶ One resident complained about cars making loud noises at night. Another sent a text asking for noise-reduction traffic signals to be installed. When I called that person directly and explained that noise-reduction traffic signals do not exist under the Road Traffic Act, they clarified they actually wanted noise-reduction traffic signs — and I told them we could do that. I called the head of the traffic administration division right away and had it taken care of. People are surprised when the district mayor calls personally, but most are grateful. I cannot call everyone, but I do call for major complaints. The relevant department handles things first and lets the resident know the district mayor will follow up. About 20 complaints come in each day. I block out about an hour in my daily schedule to make those calls — and if time runs out, I continue after work, sometimes until 9 p.m. People seem to understand even when I call late, perhaps because it is the district mayor calling.
— Your first field visit was to the neonatal ward at Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, the Catholic University of Korea.
▶ One of my campaign pledges is to push the total fertility rate above 1.0. Yeongdeungpo's current rate is around 0.7. The fertility rate is a concentrated expression of living conditions — people do not have children when they are unhappy. I want to spark some optimism, at least here in Yeongdeungpo. For reference, there are only four hospitals in the district where a woman can give birth. There are gynecology clinics, but almost no obstetrics departments that actually deliver babies.
— What birth-rate policies are in the works?
▶ During the campaign I pledged to give newborns blue-chip Kospi shares. Legally, a district cannot give out shares directly. Instead, I plan to create a newborn fund — the "Yeongdeungpo Idream stock account." When a child is born, money is deposited into the fund and held until the child reaches adulthood. The account would come with a birth congratulatory payment and, in partnership with the Yeouido financial special zone, personalized financial consulting. US President Donald Trump has implemented a similar newborn fund in the United States — there, an ETF account is created for newborns and can be held until age 18. One issue I am still working through is what happens if a family moves out of Yeongdeungpo.
— Your No. 1 campaign pledge was the "constitutional city" declaration.
▶ South Korea is the only country that achieved developed-nation status after enduring colonial rule. The driving force behind that development was the constitution. The values of freedom, equality, human rights and the rule of law seem to have aligned well with the direction our people wanted to go. I believe we can advance even further by internalizing those values. The National Assembly is located in Yeongdeungpo. This district carries the symbolic weight of having fought for democratization, drafted and ratified the constitution, and then defended it.
— How did you become a constitutional expert?
▶ Former President Roh told me, "You majored in law — try connecting the constitution to politics." After that, I began monitoring the president's governance from a constitutional perspective. I have worked to popularize the constitution ever since — writing books on the subject, including a constitutional user's guide and an introductory constitutional text, and giving lectures through the Cheoeum Heonbeop Research Institute.
— You also pledged to hold an annual citizens' assembly as a festival of democratic practice. How will that work?
▶ The plan is to allocate slots to each neighborhood and recruit or select around 200 participants through open applications or a lottery. We will provide information on key issues, present arguments on both sides, hold a debate and then go through a final vote. The assembly will meet once a year. I want to bring in as many people as possible who have not been absorbed into existing political structures or social networks.
— What policies will you prioritize early in your term?
▶ As I mentioned, raising the birth rate requires solving the housing problem. We need a shift in thinking — housing should be seen as a product of mutual trust and mutual support within a community. The constitution states that the government must strive to ensure all citizens enjoy a comfortable living environment and comfortable residential life. When I ask what the constitution can actually do for us, I keep coming back to the idea that it should help provide a home as the foundation of daily life. I think that would make people look at the constitution in a new light.
— Can you be more specific?
▶ I plan to supply quality public housing under the tentative name "constitutional housing." It could take the form of rental units or partial ownership. New construction is one option; purchasing existing housing stock is another. Various types are possible — apartments, single-family homes, row houses. Contributions through redevelopment and reconstruction projects are also an option.
cook@heraldcorp.com
