Why is Lee Sook-ja, the chairman of the Seoul Steering Committee, being "heavyweight"? "As an economic expert, I am proud of my policy achievements."

YTN Radio (FM 94.5) [YTN News FM Wise Radio Life]

□ Broadcast date and time: October 8, 2024 (Tue)
□ Host: Announcer Park Gui-bin
□ Castor: Lee Sook-ja, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information.

◆ Announcer Park Gui-bin (hereinafter referred to as Park Gui-bin): It is a wise special citizen's life time with the Seoul Metropolitan Council, a legislative body that represents the voices of 10 million Seoul citizens. Today, we are with Lee Sook-ja, the chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council. Welcome, Chairman.

◇ Lee Sook-ja, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council (hereinafter referred to as Lee Sook-ja): Yes, hello.

◆Park VIP: We have a camera in front of us. Can you say hello first?

◇ Lee Sook-ja: Yes, YTN wise radio life listeners, and Lee Sook-ja, chairman of the operation committee who is in charge of the internal housekeeping of the Seoul Metropolitan Council. It's a great pleasure and pleasure to meet our listeners today. I would like to share the stories of the Seoul Metropolitan Council with you.

◆Park Gwi-bin: Welcome. Nice to meet you. The chairman introduced that the chairman is in charge of managing the internal housekeeping of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, but if you look at it as a family, of course, it varies from home to home, but isn't it a mother? Since many mothers manage their housekeeping inside their mothers, of course, there are places where my father does it, but he plays an important role. He became the chairman of the management committee in the second half of the year. What role does this standing committee play specifically?

◇ Lee Sook-ja: Yes, the Seoul Metropolitan Council has 11 standing committees. Among them, the Steering Committee consists of 13 lawmakers and has three jurisdictions: the Seoul Mayor's Secretariat, the Deputy Mayor's Office for Political Affairs, and the City Council Secretariat. Among the 11 standing committees of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, the Steering Committee consists of members recommended by each of the 10 standing committees. So the steering committee is in charge of this department by comprehensively collecting everything that happens in each standing committee.

◆Park Gui-bin: In fact, he was in charge of the heavy duty in the first half of the year, and he is also playing an important role as the chairman of the steering committee in the second half. How did you get very busy after you became the chairman of the steering committee after the second half of the year?

◇ Lee Sook-ja: Of course, we were busy before that, but the chairman of the steering committee is a little late in the second half of the year. I think that's why I was very busy. Originally, we were supposed to be organized at the end of June, but it was delayed by about a month. So we started our activities in earnest from August. As a result, it hasn't been long since we started the second half of the year, so we're in the process of making activities. Two extraordinary meetings were held among the composition of the second half of the committee. Although the ruling and opposition parties exist within the Seoul Metropolitan Council, it is memorable that they have created an environment and foundation for consultation and natural voice in the handling of bills such as ordinances. And as the chairman of the steering committee, we will continue to create a steering committee based on harmony and communication.

◆Park Gui-bin: It hasn't been long since you took the second half of the year, but you've already played many roles. Since August, they have been active in earnest, and in the meantime, two extraordinary meetings have already been held. And in the first half, I said that I was in charge of an important role, but in the first half, you were the chairman of the Planning and Economy Committee. The chairman of the Strategy and Finance Committee also seems to be a very difficult position to listen to just this name. You were also in charge of the economic field at that time.

◇ Lee Sook-ja: It was a planning economy then, so the planning and coordination office and the planning and coordination office are the most important parts of budgeting and budgeting. And now the Economic Policy Office, that is, the Economic Policy Office, actually ran directly in the field of life where citizens' lives are enriched depending on the issues of living, the issues of people's livelihoods, and how policies are implemented. Suggest policy and

◆Park Gui-bin: Actually, no standing committee is important, but now that I hear you, why are you only in charge of such an important role? Chairman of the Committee

◇ Lee Sook-ja: Maybe you thought I was an expert in the economy, so I think the policies that I could have implemented in that area were the ones that made it clear how to spread the budget in the right place. In fact, I'm proud that there have been many achievements in that area.

◆Park Gui-bin: That's right. You've played that role very well as an economic expert, so you've taken an important role now. But actually, no matter how good you work, you have to actually win the hearts of your fellow lawmakers to be in this position, right? How did you get this feeling that you're in charge of an important role?

◇ Lee Sook: In fact, I really do care about each and every one of our city council members is such a shining person. So, we have so many capabilities that we respect each and every one of them, and we worked hard to support them in what they wanted to do.

◆Park Gui-bin: The 111 fellow lawmakers said that every one of them shines. I think that this is what my fellow lawmakers want me to do with them, respecting other fellow lawmakers and raising them more like this, and that my heart has been conveyed. The time we spend with the members of the Seoul Metropolitan Council is always the main corner. That's why it's called Citizen Report. Today, Lee Sook-ja, a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, will report to citizens. Literally, I think you can tell us one by one what you want to report to the citizens of Seoul. Let's get started. What would you like to see first?

◇ Lee Sook-ja: The first is that our Seoul City Council has set an anchor for the second half of the year. Among the numerous issues, I will introduce only about two. After 32 years in 2022, the local council's personnel rights became independent due to the revision of the Local Autonomy Act, but there is still no organizational and budget rights. Therefore, the first issue is to create a foundation for local councils to thoroughly check and supervise executive agencies as an independent institution in name and reality through the enactment of the Local Council Act. And the second is that since our city is a huge mega city that deals with a budget of almost 70 trillion won, each of our members needs policy support officers, but the current situation is that there is one policy support officer for each of the two members. So, I hope that more policy support officers will be deployed in this area so that it can be operated.

◆Park Gui-bin: You need to get more support for your legislative activities, but will there be a gap in places?

◇ Lee Sook-ja: That's only one support officer for the committee members, so each committee member has different characteristics and each has a legislative system. So, there may be some mis-matching or a good match for this person. If you do it one by one, I think they are valuable assets that can take care of the budget and the city's housekeeping more thoroughly. In fact, it is not enough to closely investigate and analyze the budget of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, which is now 70 trillion won, so we are making great efforts to revise the law against the National Assembly. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is also taking special measures.

◆Park Gui-bin: The first thing you posted was that you mentioned two very important issues in the second half of the Seoul Metropolitan Council. One of them is the policy support officer you just mentioned. Two people said that one person is in charge of it, but then you need more. I'm curious about the role of policy support officers, so I'm curious about what kind of role they play, and if they're training these people separately.

◇ Lee Sook-ja: That's why it's the first system I'm implementing for the placement operation of policy support officers, so I think it needs to be supplemented a lot in the system for operation. In the first half of the year, I proposed a research service from the Seoul Institute, a Seoul think tank, to compensate for these problems while serving as the chairman of the Planning and Economic Committee. So this time, the results of the research on progress came out. Focusing on the results of this study, we will look at the policy support system to further examine and reflect whether there are any areas where citizens can be interested and participated.

◆Park Gui-bin: I see. So, you've conducted a little more research on the policy support officer, and depending on the results, you're going to prepare additionally on how to increase citizens' interest and participate.

◇ Lee Sook-ja: We are preparing now. We are preparing for a preliminary debate, and estimates have been made to execute any budget for it. Anyone who wants to participate in the institution's training institution and any Seoul citizen can check any capabilities they can do through the educational institution, and if they can do well there, we will have to create a system where we can hire them if they comply with the competition after deliberation.

◆Park Gui-bin: We should tell the citizens of Seoul a lot.
in relation to this scheme
◇ Lee Sook-ja: That's right. It's just the beginning, so I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of results you'll be able to achieve if you keep an eye on it for the next six months.

◆Park Gui-bin: When the results come out and some additional policies come out, you expect about six months now. Come out one more time, right?

◇ Lee Sook-ja: Yes, that's right. If that's the result, then maybe when it's executed, in some way. I think I need to promote it by saying, "How can you do that?"

◆Park Gui-bin: I know. I look forward to hearing from you. Yes, let's move on to the second civil protection. There is an ordinance bill that you have proposed as a representative. Can you guide me through this ordinance?

◇ Lee Sook-ja: Among the various ordinances, the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Ordinance on Research and Development and Fostering of Healing Agriculture is memorable. Anchor, have you heard of healing agriculture?

◆Park Gui-bin: Healing agriculture is a little unfamiliar. What is it?

◇ Resident: Healing agriculture has been operating in various forms and purposes since the 2000s, mainly in EU member states such as the Netherlands and Norway, with public support and tax cuts. And healing agriculture has been found to be effective in why modern citizens are physically and emotionally healthy and then self-esteem recovery. The interest of citizens and the demands of the community are increasing. And until I proposed the fiscal ordinance, the Seoul Metropolitan Government's social agriculture promotion and support ordinance only stipulated the basis for the project. So there were limitations, but I think it is the biggest achievement in terms of stable operation and systematization of healing agriculture through the enactment of ordinances. Usually these days, there are some evaluations in all societies about murder and these areas that are very difficult and emotional. There are some evaluations that can bring emotional stability through healing agriculture.

◆Park Gui-bin: This is the ordinance proposed by the chairman as a representative. It is the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on Research and Development and Fostering of Healing Agriculture. Previously, you said that EU member states will receive benefits such as public support tax reduction and exemption. Healing agriculture, so is it an agricultural activity?

◇ Lee Sook-ja: In the meantime, some of the functions of urban farms exist because healing agriculture has gardening activities, but healing agriculture now refers to activities and industries that promote the health of the people, such as physical, emotional, and cognitive society using agricultural rural resources and related activities. Therefore, rather than urban farms, agriculture and healing are combined to touch wounds through harvest-related activities such as gardening, healing farm walking, and pressure frame making, or customized healing activities for each subject such as meditation and psychological drama. And this farming is not just general production agriculture, but rather emotional healing.

◆Park Gui-bin: It's an agricultural activity, and its main purpose is to heal wounds and stabilize psychological emotions of the person doing it.

◇ Lee Sook-ja: I think there are various benefits such as satisfaction, emotional stability, and joy of harvesting in the process of picking fruits while looking at the process of growing plants while touching the soil.

◆Park Gui-bin: I see. Is the chairman also involved in healing agriculture?

◇ Lee Sook-ja: I was really interested and in fact, in our pandemic times, I'd built a small garden at home and brought houseplants with me. The flowers bloomed, came to life, and I couldn't go out sitting on a table and drinking tea like a cafe. Why do you have such a relaxed mood and can call a friend? Then, sit down and drink coffee on both sides.

◆Park VIP: I see. That's all healing agriculture.

◇ Lee Sook-ja: When you plant tomatoes, the tomatoes will have cherry fruits. I think it is essential for citizens who are exposed to a lot of stress in urban life, and healing is called healing, but the big difference from farming is that healing farming is no longer the purpose of farming itself. There is a great advantage in using agriculture as a means of recovering health. If you grow strawberries, If you put strawberries in one go, the strawberry fruit opens up. The strawberry smells so sweet.
◆Park Gui-bin: Chairman, we should talk about healing agriculture again next time. Since it's been a while, you have to report it for the third time, so I'll have to do this briefly. The third is the district issue. Seocho is your local area. What is it about?

◇ Lee Sook-ja: Seocho is my constituency and often refers to the place where politicians were born and their political hometown in the future. I think Seocho-gu is now my fate and destiny as a politician, as I have lived in Seocho for 40 years, which is a valuable space where I have formed my family and live almost two years short of it.

◆Park Gui-bin: What kind of situation are you looking at the most carefully?

◇ Lee Sook-ja: Actually, we have the Han River in our area, and Seocho is actually important for transportation, right? There is a terminal and it is located on the Nambu Terminal Gyeongbu Expressway, and Banpocheon Stream and Han River are also located in our district. Even though Sebit Dongdong Island and various other parks and the National Library of Korea are autonomous districts with large-scale parks and cultural facilities, there are still many apartments that have been aging for about 30 years in the city center, environmental pollution problems, flooding problems, and living in the lowest natural topography.

◆Park Gui-bin: I see. The main issue is that Seocho-gu is watching it. It's finally like that because time flew by. Time flies.

◇ Lee Sook-ja: I think we should. I'll say something I couldn't say next time.

◆Park Gwi-bin: Let me ask you the last question. This is a question I always ask in the Seoul Metropolitan Council corner. Please fill in Lee Sook-ja's legislative icon.

◇ Lee Sook-ja: Lee Sook-ja's legislative icon is Lee Sook-ja. Since Lee Sook-ja is in charge of An Salim in Seoul, she is in charge of An Salim. That's why Lee Sook-ja is the icon of the Seoul Metropolitan Council.

◆Park Gui Bin: No further explanation is required. Lee Sook-ja, a lawmaker of Seoul Metropolitan Government, is a legislative icon. So far, I've been with Lee Sook-ja, the chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council. Thank you.

◇ Lee Sook-ja: Yes, thank you. Have a nice day.