Ryu Samyoung, Dongjak District Mayor Candidate: "I Will Launch Urban Redevelopment Promotion Task Force and Open District Office Doors Wide to Residents" [Interview]

"35 Years in the Police Force, Strength in Conflict Resolution"

"Will Put an End to Performative and Uncommunicative Administration"

Ryu Samyoung, Democratic Party Candidate for Dongjak District Mayor

"On January 8 of this year, I laid my parents to rest together at the Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak-dong. My father was a national merit recipient who served as a KATUSA soldier in the Korean War and was awarded the Hwarang Order of Military Merit. However, due to an administrative oversight, our family was unaware of his status for nearly 70 years, only discovering it a few years ago."

Ryu Samyoung, candidate for mayor of Dongjak District, who was criticized during the 22nd general election as an "outsider with no ties to Dongjak," laughed and said, "Now that Dongjak has become my family’s burial ground, no one can call me an outsider anymore."

Candidate Ryu Samyoung, running for mayor of Dongjak District, explained his key pledges in an interview with The Asia Business Daily on the 12th. Photo provided by the campaign office.

Born in 1964 in Yeongdo, Busan, Ryu graduated from the National Police University (4th class, Law Department) and served in the police force for 35 years. He is an expert in investigations, having served as chief at three grade-1 police stations: Yeongdo Police Station in Busan, head of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Investigation Division at Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, and chief of Jungbu Police Station in Ulsan.

In July 2022, he led the nationwide police chiefs’ meeting in opposition to the government’s plan to establish a new police bureau under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, for which he received a three-month suspension and subsequently took honorary retirement the following year. In December of the same year, he entered politics as the third officially recruited talent of the Democratic Party of Korea. He ran against five-term senior lawmaker Na Kyung-won in Dongjak-eul during the 22nd general election and, after a narrow defeat, served for two years as the local chairperson for Dongjak-eul, strengthening his ties to the area. The Asia Business Daily met with candidate Ryu Samyoung at his campaign office on the 12th.

-How do you respond to concerns about your lack of administrative experience?

▲That is a misunderstanding. The position of police chief is one of the most complex administrative roles. A grade-1 police chief leads an organization of 600 to 700 people and is responsible for all public safety administration in their jurisdiction. This includes managing budgets, personnel, and conflicts. For 35 years, my work was essentially to "go to troubled sites and untangle complicated situations."

The biggest reason redevelopment has stalled is due to conflicts. Design is handled by architectural and civil engineering experts, but what is truly needed is vision and conflict resolution skills. Investigations are like mathematics; they require logical problem-solving based on clues. This is the same approach needed to resolve the tangled civil complaints and interests in maintenance projects.

There are several heads of local governments with police backgrounds, such as Jin Gyohun, mayor of Gangseo District; Lee Kangdeok, mayor of Pohang; Jo Gilhyeong, mayor of Chungju (currently running for governor of North Chungcheong Province); and Jang Chungnam, governor of Namhae County. Most have been re-elected. I believe this is because on-site judgment and crisis response are ingrained in them.

-How do you assess the previous Dongjak District administration? Which aspects will you continue and which will you discontinue?

▲Former mayor Lee Changwoo laid the foundation for the Jangseungbaegi Integrated Administrative Town, while Mayor Park Ilha brought urban renewal to the forefront of administrative priorities. I will continue the strong will to push forward with urban renewal.

However, exhibitionist populist administration and opaque, uncommunicative governance must be discontinued. Mayor Park Ilha’s past four years have not been free from criticism that his administration has focused more on promotional events and self-praise than on the actual lives of residents. The waste of administrative capacity on superficial shows while underlying issues fester must end. Additionally, there are significant concerns in the community about whether residents’ opinions were adequately reflected when setting the direction of projects.

-If elected, what will be your first official approval?

▲The first official approval will be the "Plan to establish and operate a task force team (TFT) to promote urban renewal projects by district." Currently, major policy promotion teams at the Dongjak District Office operate on a temporary basis, but I will restructure this as a formal, permanent organization. Since reconstruction and redevelopment will be the most significant issues in Dongjak over the next four years, a temporary organization will not suffice.

There is also another initiative I consider the "true first pledge." I will open the doors of the district office wide for the residents. Currently, residents must leave their ID at the entrance and receive a visitor’s pass to access specific departments, with the fifth floor housing the mayor’s office essentially off-limits. The residents are the owners of the district office, yet the current system treats them like guests. Restricting access for all due to a few malicious complaints is not the right approach. On my first day in office, I will open the doors wide and declare that the residents are the true owners.

-What is the most urgent issue in Dongjak?

▲There are more than 100 urban development projects underway, but not all are progressing smoothly. The key is not simply to move quickly, but to "move quickly in the direction residents want." I will create this system by expanding the fast-track process for permits, establishing a task force team for each district, and operating a conflict mediation committee for stakeholders in maintenance projects, ensuring that residents’ desired projects move forward.

The district-level task force teams will bring together experts, stakeholders, managers dispatched from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and district office officials—four groups at one table. At each stage, such as planning, project approval, and management and disposition, this team will analyze obstacles and present solutions.

Ryu Samyoung is smiling while explaining his first campaign pledge. Photo by the election office.

-During the nomination process, you highlighted "synergy with the central government and Seoul city" as a key strength. What channels do you plan to activate for securing budgets, permits, and coordinating large-scale projects?

▲Most district-level projects are difficult to pursue without financial support from the national or city government. Approval for large-scale projects is ultimately determined during consultations with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and central ministries. The mere fact that the head of the local government is affiliated with the ruling party provides a significant advantage in keeping these channels open. Through the general election and my activities as local party chair, I have learned the policy lines of the party. I know whom to meet and where.

-Aside from major development issues, what are your signature policies for "everyday administration" that directly impact residents’ daily lives?

▲In terms of everyday administration, I have proposed establishing libraries and kids cafés in each neighborhood, creating riverside parks along the Han River and Dorimcheon, expanding sports facilities, increasing public parking and implementing intelligent parking management systems, and setting up new senior cultural centers with screen park golf courses in each living area. In safety and security, which is directly tied to my 30 years of police experience, my three main pillars are: introducing AI-based disaster response systems, expanding pedestrian safety facilities and fences, and enhancing safety measures for crime prevention, accidents, environment, noise, and dust at redevelopment sites.

◆ Ryu Samyoung, Candidate

△Born in Busan, 1964 △National Police University graduate △Former Chief of Yeongdo Police Station in Busan △Former Head of Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Investigation Division at Busan Metropolitan Police Agency △Former Chief of Jungbu Police Station in Ulsan (led the nationwide police chiefs’ meeting in July 2022) △Third officially recruited talent of the Democratic Party of Korea (December 2023) △22nd General Election candidate for Dongjak-eul △Chairperson of the Dongjak-eul District Committee, Democratic Party of Korea, Seoul Metropolitan Chapter △Head of the National Public Safety Task Force, Democratic Party of Korea △Chairperson of the Small Business Committee, Democratic Party of Korea, Seoul Metropolitan Chapter △Expert Member of the Political and Administrative Subcommittee, National Policy Planning Committee (2025)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.