Changwon Special City Mayor Kang Giyun Reaches Out to Jinhae Residents in First Conversation with Citizens

Informal communication and "resident-focused administration" draw attention

"For requests raised on site that can be addressed immediately, the district head and department heads will visit to assess the situation and take prompt action. We will also carefully follow up on issues that require more time to minimize inconvenience to residents."

Kang Giyun, mayor of Changwon Special City in South Gyeongsang Province, made the pledge on the 7th during the "2026 Jinhae-gu Conversation with Residents," his first such meeting with around 400 Jinhae-gu residents, at the conference hall of the Jinhae-gu Office.

Changwon Special City Mayor Kang Giyun holds his first conversation with citizens alongside some 400 residents of Jinhae-gu. [Photo provided by Changwon City]

Mayor Kang arrived at the venue 20 minutes before the event began and personally greeted residents as they entered, drawing attention with his commitment to active communication.

A photo zone and a life-size standee depicting the "Mayor Who Is Always Out and About" were set up at one side of the venue. Changwon City's official characters, "Piumi" and "Kkiru," entertained residents and helped create a brighter, friendlier atmosphere.

The city also introduced new approaches to explaining its administrative priorities. Videos in a vlog format and AI-generated narration made the information more engaging, while clear explanations tailored to residents' perspectives drew a strong response. The city also set up an "On-Site Suggestion Box" to gather residents' views without filtering them, from everyday inconveniences to policy proposals.

A gathering of around 400 Jinhae-gu residents to communicate with Mayor Kang Gi-yoon. [Photo provided by Changwon City]

At the meeting, residents proposed future strategies that draw on Jinhae's distinctive features, including developing the western area and boosting local vitality; improving living conditions in the eastern area in connection with Jinhae New Port; and creating year-round attractions using the Inland Water Eco Park and Dream Road.

Kang Giyun, mayor of Changwon Special City, said, "It was a very meaningful time to sit face-to-face with Jinhae-gu residents and hear their candid views on city administration and local issues."

A resident who attended the event said, "The city explained its administrative priorities point by point from the residents' perspective, in a way I had never seen before, making the administration feel much closer to us. I hope opportunities to communicate directly with residents and hear their voices will continue naturally as part of everyday life, rather than being one-off events."

The conversations with residents will begin in Jinhae-gu and continue in five districts: Masanhappo-gu on the 12th, Uichang-gu on the 20th, Masanhoewon-gu on the 22nd, and Seongsan-gu on the 26th.

Mayor Kang has held candid conversations with civil servants at district offices. Now that he is reaching out to residents directly, the effort is likely to be seen by them as a change in the way the city communicates.

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