Paju’s Mobile Mayor’s Office Reaches 200 Visits, Becomes Key Citizen Policy Forum
Creatrip Team
a month ago
Paju City’s “mobile mayor’s office” (찾아가는 이동시장실) celebrated its 200th session since launching on September 20, 2022, after 1,232 days. The outreach program brings the mayor and city officials to neighborhoods to hear residents’ suggestions and complaints directly. Over 7,400 citizens participated across Paju, submitting 2,520 proposals—51% completed, 19% in progress, and 30% requiring long-term review or institutional change. The initiative has produced concrete policies: the large local currency program “PajuPay” (파주페이) with a permanent 10% incentive for local businesses, a city business fair and export matchmaking for SMEs, the country’s first student-only shuttle bus “Paprika” (파프리카) to ease school commutes, and fully funded community day-care centers (“Paju-style shared care centers”) for children. The mobile office also addressed smaller but crucial needs, such as sending pediatric specialists to a local health post and offering holiday care programs for students with developmental disabilities. Mayor Kim Kyung-il emphasized that the milestone is not the goal; listening to citizens and translating their voices into policy is the program’s core purpose.
