Since taking office, Seocho-gu District Mayor Jeon Sung-su has returned every holiday gift through his secretariat — a practice that has in effect ended gift-giving to district officials altogether, earning him a reputation as a model of integrity.
Seocho-gu District Mayor Jeon Sung-su has earned a reputation as one of Seoul's most humble and incorruptible local officials.
Those who have worked with Jeon say he maintains a consistently modest and considerate manner regardless of whom he is dealing with — a quality some say is rare among senior public servants.
Jeon graduated from Seoul National University's College of Law and passed the national civil service exam before rising through a series of prominent posts, including director of public relations, general affairs and administration at the Seoul Metropolitan Government. He went on to serve as senior administrative officer at Cheong Wa Dae, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior and Safety, consul general to Thailand and deputy mayor for administration of Incheon.
Despite that distinguished career, his self-effacing manner stands out as something seldom seen in senior officialdom.
Inside and outside the Seocho-gu district office, some say he is "the most humble district mayor Seocho-gu has ever had."
Jeon also commands the respect of his staff for his personal integrity.
Ahead of the Lunar New Year and chuseok holidays each year, district employees hold an anti-gift campaign in the first-floor lobby of the district office, carrying placards that read "No holiday gifts" and "We'll accept only your kind thoughts."
But the effort goes well beyond a one-off campaign.
Jeon personally returns any holiday gifts delivered to him, dispatching a member of his secretariat to hand them back to the sender.
One official who had worked with Seocho-gu recalled sending a gift ahead of chuseok 2023, only to have a secretariat staff member show up at the door. "They said, 'We'll accept only your kind thoughts,' and returned it on the spot," the official said.
Word of the practice spread, and gift-giving to the district mayor and senior officials during the holidays has in effect disappeared from Seocho-gu, according to those familiar with the matter.
The Korean saying "clean water at the top keeps the water below clean" captures what Jeon has put into practice by example. He is a district mayor who demonstrates integrity through action rather than words.
His confidence in carrying out his duties and conducting himself as a public official appears to stem from his steadfast adherence to precisely these small but firm principles.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
