Lee Hyun-jae, mayor of Hanam in Gyeonggi Province, joined environmental sanitation workers in garbage collection. The move is part of his public livelihood outreach aimed at directly examining the hardships faced by field workers amid the heat wave.
Having given up his summer vacation, the mayor boarded a collection truck in work clothes at 5 a.m. on the 30th at a garbage transfer station in Hanam. For about an hour and a half, he traveled along residential streets, joining the work of collecting garbage bags.
"Thanks to your hard work, Hanam's 330,000 citizens can greet a pleasant city every morning," the mayor said, encouraging the workers. He then urged field officials to make work safety and workers' health management during the heat wave their top priorities.
This dawn accompaniment is one of the public livelihood field inspections the mayor has continued since the 28th. On the 28th, the mayor visited three semi-basement households in Deokpung 2-dong to examine housing conditions exposed to the risks of heat waves and flooding. For an elderly couple in their 80s who recently underwent fracture surgery, he arranged insect screen support and sponsored goods, and immediately applied the 'Care for Everyone' service.
On the 29th, he visited the station office at Misa Station to hear the hardships of cleaning workers and station management staff.
Through this year's station environment outsourcing contract, the city saved about 600 million won in budget compared to operation by Seoul Metro, and achieved the outcome of prioritizing the hiring of Hanam citizens for more than 50% of positions. In a joint citizen evaluation, all four stations received the highest 'Excellent' grade.
The mayor's relay of public livelihood inspections will continue through August 14. This month, safety inspections at construction sites including the Wirye Complex Sports Center and the Wirye Forest Library are planned, and next month, emergency childcare inspections at daycare centers and visits to traditional markets and commercial districts are scheduled.
"In the sweat that workers shed in the early dawn and in the voices of elderly residents in vulnerable housing lies the answer for where Hanam's city administration should head," the mayor stressed. "I will complete a meticulous public livelihood administration that citizens can feel with their whole bodies."
