BUSAN — Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo is reaching the halfway mark of a project to visit all 206 towns, townships and neighborhoods in the city, an initiative built on hearing residents' daily complaints directly and resolving them.
Jeon visited key sites in Haeundae District and Gijang County on the 15th to hear from residents, the Busan Metropolitan Government said, in the fourth round of the project titled "Changing Citizens' Daily Lives in Every Corner of Busan." With this visit, the city has completed stops in eight of Busan's 16 districts and counties, following its first visits to Dong District and Jung District last month.
Jeon was joined by Haeundae District Mayor Kim Sung-soo and Gijang County Governor Woo Sung-bin in reviewing a series of sites where residents have filed complaints.
In Haeundae District, Jeon visited the planned site for an intercity bus stop near Jungdong Station, the intersection at the Wondong interchange and Byeolbaragi Park. He reviewed issues tied directly to residents' daily lives, including facilities for intercity bus passengers in Haeundae, the construction of a pedestrian walkway between Hyundai Green Apartment and the Wondong interchange, and the renovation of children's play areas.
In Gijang County, he visited the bus stop at Gijang Market, the sidewalk on the market's northern side and the Manhwa Stream. He focused on measures for residents' safety and convenience, including revitalizing the commercial district by improving the area around the traditional market, preventing flood damage along the stream and repairing pedestrian walkways. For the inconveniences raised on site, the city plans to pledge full administrative and financial support, including municipal funding.
After the site inspections, Jeon joined residents and small business owners for a lunch gathering at Gamasot Saengbok-jip, a restaurant near Gijang Market designated as a "good-price business" by the city.
The restaurant, which specializes in blowfish, has been in business for 32 years. Its owner, Shim Mi-rye, and her husband have prepared and distributed about 70 lunch boxes and other meals each week since 2002 for older adults living alone and other marginalized residents. Jeon presented the owner with a plaque specially made by the city to recognize good-price businesses, expressing his gratitude for her record of community service.
"Finding answers alongside citizens and responding with changes they can actually feel in their daily lives is the core principle of this administration," Jeon said. "Over my four-year term, I will travel to every corner of all 206 towns, townships and neighborhoods in Busan, listen to residents' voices and resolve their concerns quickly."