Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor Choi Dong-min Brings Local Concerns to Seoul Party, Central Government

Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor Choi Dong-min attended a series of meetings Thursday — a Democratic Party of Korea Seoul chapter policy forum, a national briefing for city and county heads, and a presidential luncheon — to convey residents' concerns and local issues gathered from the field.

In the morning, Choi joined the Seoul chapter of the Democratic Party of Korea and its affiliated local government heads for a policy forum. He shared key issues facing Seoul with Seoul chapter Chairman Kim Young-bae, Secretary General Han Jeong-ae and other lawmakers and district mayors, and discussed ways for local governments to collaborate on resolving regional problems.

Choi then attended a national briefing for city, county and district heads on major government policy priorities and central-local government cooperation, before joining a luncheon hosted by President Lee Jae Myung at Cheong Wa Dae's banquet hall.

At the meetings, Choi outlined local issues that directly affect Dongdaemun-gu residents' daily lives. He said redevelopment and reconstruction projects have a direct bearing on residents' living conditions and property, and stressed the importance of procedures that ensure residents' views are fully heard and reflected throughout the process.

Choi also said resident communication must keep pace with the speed of redevelopment work. He said residents need access to sufficient information — including cost-sharing arrangements, project viability, procedures and timelines — to make informed decisions, and that reconciling differing views and building consensus is essential.

He also conveyed the importance of grassroots local administration, including community self-governance and integrated care services. He said that as communities grapple with an aging population and a growing number of single-person households, a cooperative framework is needed in which central and local governments and regional healthcare and welfare institutions divide responsibilities and deliver seamless services to residents.

Since taking office, Choi has held "Conversations with Residents" sessions across all 15 dong in the district, collecting more than 200 suggestions from residents. The district plans to expand consultations with relevant agencies on issues ranging from everyday inconveniences — parking, pedestrian safety — to larger challenges such as redevelopment, transportation infrastructure and welfare and care services that are difficult to resolve at the district level alone.

"When I meet residents in the field, it becomes clearest what they need and where the administration is falling short," Choi said. "I will make sure the voices heard in Dongdaemun do not stay within the district office — I will carry them properly to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the central government, secure the cooperation needed, and follow through until residents see real change."