[Seoul, Now]The Secrets to Failed Publicity

There is a shortcut to failed public relations for local governments. Based on several years of experience receiving press releases from the 25 districts of Seoul, the main reasons can be summarized into three categories.

First, selling the person rather than the policy. In the center of every press release photo, you will inevitably find the district mayor. Sometimes, it is difficult to distinguish whether the material is meant to inform about a policy or simply provide an update on the mayor’s activities. The moment the subject of the publicity shifts from the “district” to the “mayor,” the promotion becomes political rather than administrative.

Second, diligently sharing information that residents are not interested in. This includes updates about which events the district mayor attended, whom they shook hands with, or which organizations they visited for encouragement. However, the information residents truly want to know is different: When will the pavement in our neighborhood alleys be completed? Why is the waiting list for daycare centers not getting any shorter? How far along is the redevelopment process? These are pushed aside, while only unsolicited updates are delivered enthusiastically.

Third, churning out only outdated news. They reissue announcements about events that have already ended or recycle business updates from several months ago with only the wording changed. Because publicity performance is measured by the number of releases, quantity becomes more important than content. For recipients, this only leads to fatigue, with reactions like “that again” or “it’s all the same.”

If these three are faithfully followed, public relations is sure to fail. The problem is that it's not just PR that fails.

A local government head is first and foremost an administrator, rather than a politician. From the residents’ perspective, they should choose someone who is competent, regardless of political affiliation. However, if information about what the district government is actually doing is not properly conveyed, residents lose the basis for making such judgments. As a result, only leaders of local professional organizations or those active in their circles—who make up less than 5% of all voters—really know the district mayor’s actual performance. The remaining 95% end up voting based solely on the candidate’s name, party, and impressions from election season banners.

This vicious cycle—where publicity becomes self-promotion and residents grow distant from district affairs—is not solely the fault of local governments. Half the responsibility lies with those who have stopped paying attention. Oversight of district administration begins with noticing small changes: a newly painted crosswalk on your commute, the condition of the bus stop seating near your home, a new cooling shelter, or a renovated alley.

Rather than just complaining about paying a lot of taxes and getting nothing in return, residents should take a sincere look at what is being done well and what is not. Instead of criticizing that nothing is spoon-fed, there should be at least the interest to look around and see where beneficial services are being provided. In the end, it is up to the residents to select their leader based on competence rather than party color, and the benefits ultimately return to the residents themselves.

There may be three secrets to failed publicity, but there is only one key to successful district administration: both city hall and district offices must never forget that residents are watching, and residents themselves must also remain aware of this fact.

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