Guri recruits citizen panel to evaluate mayor's campaign pledges

Guri is accepting applications for a citizen panel that will monitor and evaluate the progress of campaign pledges made under the ninth directly elected city administration, with recruitment running from Tuesday through Sept. 7.

The panel is a civic participation body designed to incorporate diverse public perspectives into the pledge implementation process and to strengthen its transparency and accountability. Any Guri resident with an interest in city administration and campaign pledge projects who can actively take part in panel activities is eligible to apply.

The city plans to select panel members by lottery after weighing applicants' gender, age and neighborhood, aiming to ensure a balanced representation of residents' voices throughout the pledge implementation process.

Selected members will be responsible for reviewing campaign pledges and implementation plans, monitoring and evaluating the progress and performance of pledge projects, deliberating on and offering opinions about pledge modifications or adjustments, and proposing improvements to related policies.

The city plans to finalize the panel's composition in September before reviewing the overall implementation plans for all ninth-term campaign pledge projects. It will also gather the panel's input on any pledges that require modification or adjustment.

The city will also provide training on pledge evaluation methods so that panel members can assess progress objectively and systematically, and will involve them in regular monitoring and periodic evaluations of pledge implementation going forward.

"Campaign pledges are promises made to citizens, so it is important that the process and outcomes be checked and evaluated directly through citizens' eyes," Guri Mayor Shin Dong-hwa said. "We will actively reflect the diverse opinions offered by the citizen panel in our pledge projects, build a trustworthy city administration that citizens can feel in their daily lives, and work toward making Guri a city where citizens are the mayor."

Residents wishing to join the panel may check the recruitment notice on the Guri city website and submit an application. For further details, contact the Guri city planning and budget office.