“I am proud of field administration of Gyeonggi Province!”
(Published April 24, 2013)

[Leaving Gyeonggi Province ①] Lieutenant Governor for Administrative Affairs I, Kim Sung-ryeol

He was transferred to Executive Director of Creative Government Strategy Office of Ministry of Security and Public Administration on April 23.
He contributed to improving administrative culture by means of 4G Administration scheme.

◇ On April 19, at the opening ceremony of <Adult’s Heart, Kid’s Heart Exhibition >, held at ‘the gallery Star’ on the first floor of the 3rd Annex of Gyeoggi Provincial Government Building, the former lieutenant governor for Administrative Affairs I Kim Sung-ryeol gives flowers to participating senior citizens. ⓒ G-News / Heo Seon-ryang

Gyeonggi Province carried out personnel changes of high ranking positions including lieutenant governor for Administrative Affairs I, lieutenant governor for Economy, and executive director of economic investment on April 23.

The former lieutenant governor for Administrative Affairs I Kim Sung-ryeol was appointed to Executive Director of Creative Government Strategy Office of Ministry of Security and Public Administration, and the former lieutenant governor for Economy Lee Jae-yool was appointed to Executive Director of Safety Management Headquarters of the same ministry.

We met the former lieutenant governor Kim Sung-ryeol, who is soon to be transferred, at the provincial government complex on April 19. The day was in the midst of Cherry Blossom Festival of Gyeonggi Provincial Office, so the government complex was crowded with people enjoying flower viewing.

That day, the former lieutenant governor Kim participated in the opening ceremony of <Adult’s Heart, Kid’s Heart Exhibition>, which was held at ‘the gallery Star’ on the first floor of the 3rd Annex of Gyeoggi Provincial Government Building. The exhibition unveiled to the public about 200 pieces of artworks created by members of Korea Dementia Art Therapy Association. It was designed to draw social concerns about dementia and to let people know about art therapy for dementia as non-pharmacological treatment. At the exhibition, the artworks of the elderly people aged 83 to 106 suffering from dementia were displayed as well as those of the general members of the association.

Mr. Kim, who showed a special interest in this exhibition, gave flowers as a present to participating members at the opening ceremony, and stayed at the place for about 2 hours by appreciating each artwork carefully. When the seniors body-painted a flower pattern on back of his hand, he beastly showed it to others.

The former lieutenant governor expressed, “This is the most pleasurable and moving event since I took office as lieutenant governor in Gyeonggi Province.”

He got to know about Korea Dementia Art Therapy Association with an introduction from Economy and Science Technology Commissioner of Gyeonggi Provincial Council Geum Jong-ryae. Last February, he visited the office in Seryu-dong and learned about art therapy program for dementia treatment.

“When I see old women’s pictures, I recall my childhood and feel warm-hearted. My kids I and I usually relax through their pictures by attaching them on my desk and see them every morning.”◇ The former lieutenant governor for Administrative Affairs I, Kim Sung-ryeol took a commemorative photograph with members of Korea Dementia Art Therapy Association, who held <Adult’s Heart, Kid’s Heart Exhibition>. ⓒ G-News / Heo Seon-ryang

Kim Sung-ryeol aided Governor Kim Moon-soo as lieutenant governor for Administrative Affairs for 1 year and 10 months since he took office in Gyeonggi Provincial Office in July 2011. For the former lieutenant governor Kim Sung-ryeol, we can first think of 4G, Smart Administration. During his office, he brought on epoch-making changes in the way how Gyeonggi Province’s government employees work. His representative work was to lay the foundation for 4G Administration, which means reducing meetings and documents and reinforcing site visit and communication.

His performances during his office include expanding flexible working system in cooperation with Smart Work Center, and aggressively pursuing small-sized bureaus and balance in personnel by considering minority and women.

However, as shown by his interest in art-related dementia therapy, the former lieutenant governor was dedicated to improving welfare environment for social second classes such as seniors and teenagers.

Also in the last interview under his title as lieutenant governor for Administrative Affairs of Gyeonggi Province, he began with the senior issue.

“We planned a budget for creating database for solitary seniors last year. The database will be completed this month. Gyeonggi is the first in the nation in that each solitary senior can be offered customized service by developing senior status cards about whether they have sons and daughters, where they live, how they suffer from illness, and how much they earn for living.”

He mentioned his outcomes such as care for solitary seniors, job creation for seniors, carnation house project (remodeling old senior citizen centers and community halls to senior congregate houses), and establishing Gyeonggi Internet Addiction Center.

He stressed he concentrated his energy on nurturing horse industry and water treatment industry as future growth engines. He said he still regretted not to further nurture light aircraft-related industry. Besides, he added what remains in his memory includes his effort on normalization of provincial medical center and vitalization of ‘So Good Store’, which sells products from self-reliance companies and work places of protection of the disabled off-line.

He also revealed the untold story when he directly supported the public to remove ‘the splinter under the fingernail’ as a true ‘actionist’.

He revealed, with smile, examples in which he personally dealt with civil complaints, at the time of his leaving. For example, when one tourist spot of Bucheon City suggested creating guide signs in the roads for convenience of Chinese tourists, he visited Gyeonggi headquarters of Korea Expressway Corporation in person to deal with the issue. Also, when one farming association corporation of Pyeongtaek City wanted to provide its products for in-flight meal, he visited airlines to help do so for international flights.

He also tried to meticulously deal with issues the provincial governor didn’t notice. He made changes in the design of the governmental facilities of Gyeonggi Province, which once was created without organized plans, with his aesthetic sense. ‘Always Civil Affairs Center’, whose design used to be unfriendly, was remodeled to lively atmosphere with emphasis on colors and designs. Besides, he standardized and changed designs sophisticatedly from employees’ name cards to certificates of award and signboards of the provincial organizations.

Upon his inauguration as lieutenant governor, he reportedly replaced his mother-of-pearl-made nameplate with practical and simple nameplate on the desk in his office. This story shows his administrative philosophy, i.e. valuing identity construction through quality design before everything else.◇ Last April, the former lieutenant governor Kim participated in Gyeonggi working-level site-visiting meeting held in Uiwang City. ⓒ G-News /Yoo Jae-hoon

For a year and 10 months of his office, he might feel something wanting as he had rewarding experiences. Mr. Kim felt regretful over some important projects and policies at a slow pace such as GTX, USKR, Korean Wave World, Regulation of capital region, and funding for social welfare. He said he felt keenly the limitation of the local government.

“Local government has to visit branches of the central government per issues. We should try to draw up solutions how to deal with the local pending issues as well as reporting what to deal with in the region. We should strive to let them learn how to fish, not only to offer fish.”

He stressed that 6th grade public officials and those of lower grade should learn by experience the importance of field administration. “It is no use no matter how much the governor talks about it. Every public officials of Gyeonggi Province should be the very ‘Gyeonggi Governor’, especially in case of working-level officials.”

He also criticized the public officials of the central government. “People say thanks only when the body communicates and interacts well with local government on the spot.” He declared he will implant field administrative system he experienced from Gyeonggi Province into the central government.

“According to the issues, I will hold working-level meetings with working level directors from Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, Ministry of Strategy and Finance, and Ministry of Environment as well as Ministry of Security and Public Administration, in the Northern region of Gyeonggi Province and others. It is important for the central government to communicate and interact with cities and counties at a national level.”

Lastly, he gave advice with affection to Gyeonggi public officials who shared the pleasures and pains of work with him for nearly 2 years; that is, be proud of your job as public official.

“My office motto is P/E/R. P is pride, which means you should be proud of your organization, yourself, your family, your boss, and what you do. In other words, you should have a sense of ownership for the office. If you are proud of your job when you think ‘I am a public official of Korea,’ there must be no corruption. E represents enjoy, which means you should enjoy your job. It is not a success if you don’t enjoy it. Trivial pleasure is true pleasure. Did you see the elderly women from Korea Dementia Art Therapy Association? Did you see how happy they are? Lastly, R represents rewarding. The job of public office should be rewarding. When I am self-impressed, then we can say it’s rewarding.”

According to Ministry of Security and Public Administration, Creative Government Strategy Department, where he was newly appointed, added ‘Government 3.0’ function to the traditional work, i.e. overall control of administrative/civil complaint system and the government organization. The former lieutenant governor Kim assured its success with confidence, saying “’Government 3.0’ is the very Smart Administration what Gyeonggi Province has implemented for the past 1 years.” That is why we anticipate what roles he will play in achieving the goal of ‘Government 3.0’ by considering 4G, Smart Administration of Gyeonggi Province as role model.◇ The former lieutenant governor Kim Sung-ryeol presides over working-level meeting. ⓒ G-News / Heo Seon-ryang

☞ Former Lieutenant Governor for Administrative Affairs I Kim Sung-ryeol was born in Pohang, Northern Gyeongsang Province in 1958. He graduated from Faculty of Law of Korea University, and received a Master’s degree in Public Policy from University of Wisconsin of US. After passing the 27th Higher Civil Service Examination, he held various posts including Personnel Policy director and Senior Civil Service director of Civil Service Commission, Organization Management director and Personnel Director General of Ministry of Public Administration and Security. While grade Ⅱ-A officials were typically promoted to Administrative Lieutenant Governor, he was unprecedentedly promoted and appointed to Administrative I Lieutenant Governor of Gyeonggi Province from grade I Organization Management director of Ministry of Public Administration and Security, and his inauguration made headlines with his story at that time.

ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News | Nam Gyung-woo

http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201304241106087055C048&s_code=C048