'Our district mayor is truly remarkable' — Ryu Gyeong-gi earns genuine trust from staff and residents

"Our District Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi is truly remarkable."

Those were the words Bae Yeong-mi, Jungnang-gu's public relations officer, offered unprompted. Asked what made him stand out, she praised Ryu for his character and ability alike.

It is not common for a senior district office official to openly compliment their district mayor. Yet Bae's words carried the unmistakable weight of trust built through years of working together.

Seoul has 25 district mayors, and it is worth asking how many of them receive such candid praise from their own staff.

District office employees rarely speak publicly about their mayor, but they form their own assessments all the same — a reminder that the position is far from an easy one.

Ryu graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in political science, passed the national civil service exam and joined the Seoul Metropolitan Government. He served as spokesperson, head of the administrative bureau, head of the planning and coordination office, and first vice mayor for administration before winning election as Jungnang-gu district mayor in the seventh round of local elections. He is now serving his third consecutive term through the ninth round.

Having built a long career in city administration, Ryu has channeled that experience into education and local development in Jungnang-gu. A program encouraging preschool children to read 1,000 books drew considerable attention from parents. He has also pushed actively for urban renewal, including Moa Town projects and redevelopment and reconstruction initiatives.

Residents have responded warmly. "Good changes have come to the neighborhood since Mayor Ryu took office," one resident said. "A lot of people in the community think highly of him."

Inside Jungnang-gu, it has become commonplace to describe him as an "idol-level district mayor."

Ryu recently said he encourages his deputy district mayors to meet residents actively. He wants officials such as Deputy District Mayor Jeong Sang-taek to go into the field and hear directly from the community — a governing style built on sharing credit with his team rather than claiming results alone.

He also keeps up ties with former colleagues. On Friday, he was invited to a gathering of retired Seoul Metropolitan Government officials at the grade-3 level and above, where he met with seniors and juniors from his time in city hall.

One can only hope that more of Seoul's district mayors will earn the same kind of sincere respect from their staff that Ryu has.

Trusted by his employees and praised by his residents, Ryu enters his ninth year leading Jungnang-gu — and all eyes are on what he will accomplish next.