◀ anchor ▶
Today’s news desk starts with a special plan coverage.
On July 1st, the 8th popular election was launched.
The MBC special investigation and reporting team looked at what the heads of 243 local governments across the country did first and the most since taking office.
We will show you the results now.
The photos you see now show the offices of local government heads across the country three months following they took office.
At first glance, it looks like there are no special features, but many of them have been refurbished following the inauguration of the head of the local government.
We ripped up and repaired a decent office room, and even replaced furniture that had a long compulsory lifespan.
As a result of the MBC survey, in particular, regarding 80% of the new group heads spent this way.
Some places have spent more than 100 million won in taxes.
First, reporter Nam Jae-hyun reports.
◀ Report ▶
In Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, where the mayor’s political party has changed for the first time in 12 years, the mayor’s office on the second floor has been moved to the fourth floor and newly decorated.
The cost is 190 million won.
We bought 23 million won worth of new desks and chairs, conference tables, sofas, and wardrobes for the new market.
The reason for moving the mayor’s office is that the mayor’s office is located on the second floor, so employees are often mobilized for security due to frequent residents’ meetings, so it was moved to a higher place.
[성남시 홍보팀 관계자]
“When you were on the second floor, it was the concept of an open mayor’s room. In the eighth period, obviously, the direction is different and it is more regarding work efficiency.”
The new mayor’s office was not disclosed to reporters either.
[성남시 홍보팀 관계자]
((Mayor’s Office) is not open to the public?)
“Yes, even our secretaries are not allowed to enter. When you go out, take a locked structure…”
How will the mayor’s office on the second floor used by the former mayor be used?
When I visited, the desks, tables, chairs, and household items such as refrigerators were left untouched, and only dust was piling up.
Dozens of boxes of various supplies are also piled up on the walls.
These are the items I bought just 4 years ago, when I took office as mayor.
[성남시 청사관리팀 관계자]
“For now, either recycle it or donate it. I think it will have to be redeployed or something like that.”
Next to the mayor’s office, there is a video conference room and a disaster situation room, which were newly built at the end of last year at a cost of 500 million won.
[성남시 청사관리팀 관계자]
(Maybe it’s a part where the use is a bit vague as the market room changes and the location changes?)
“yes.”
MBC contacted Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin several times to hear the position of the mayor, went to the city hall and waited for over 6 hours, but in the end refused to answer.
[성남시장 비서실 관계자]
(Mayor, have you been there?)
“You’re not here right now. We don’t know until your personal schedule.”
When I went to the civil service room on the 2nd floor of the Gangbuk-gu Office in Seoul, which was built more than 40 years ago, the window table is old and torn here and there.
The washbasin in the bathroom has also been painted off and the faucet is badly corroded.
The first place to fix the old government building in time for the inauguration of Mayor Lee Soon-hee was the mayor’s office.
We spent 160 million won to remodel and buy all the new furniture.
[강북구 홍보팀 관계자]
“Even if the facility is old, it’s not like it’s too old. The Commissioner is really now the representative of the residents and the face of our district.”
But residents have a different opinion.
[신봉귀/강북구민]
“No one can enter the ward mayor’s office. I think it would be right for the civil service office and the toilet to be the face of our ward office.”
A massage chair was created in the dobong-gu office staff lounge in Seoul following the inauguration of the new mayor.
It is 3.4 million won, and it was originally bought to be placed in the office of the new ward mayor, but has been moved following MBC requested information disclosure.
[도봉구청 관계자]
“The current head of state said it didn’t fit here (the mayor’s office), so it was moved.”
In addition to massage chairs, more than 60 new furniture, including desks, decorative cabinets, and conference tables, were installed in the mayor’s office, and 130 million won was spent in remodeling.
More than half of the 243 local governments across the country either built the office of the group head or purchased furniture, and 131 out of 166 or 79% of the 166 local governments changed their heads in this year’s local elections.
This is Jaehyun Nam from MBC News.
Video coverage Lee Seong-jae Ko Heon-joo Choi In-gyu Dok Go-myung / Video editing Kim Ha-eun
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