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| On the first day as Seoul mayor, Park Won-soon signs in the documents to take over mayoral duties yesterday in his office in City Hall. [Joint Press Corps] |
On the first day in the mayoral office, Park signed a bill yesterday approving the funding of 18.5 billion won ($16.5 million) to the city’s education office for about 197,000 fifth and sixth graders in the city.
From next year, the new mayor said he will steadily expand the program to middle schools.
Since December 2010, students between first and fourth grades have received free school lunches, funded by the Seoul Education Office and local district offices. Oh resisted an expansion of the free meal program and called a referendum on the issue in August. Not enough Seoul residents voted to make the referendum valid, and Oh resigned.
Asked why he chose that bill as the first thing to do as mayor, Park told reporters yesterday, “Free school meals were the cause of the end of the former mayor’s administration, so I thought I had to resolve that issue first. And it was the first pledge I made, so I felt it should be implemented instantly.”
As the mayor’s post was vacant, Park assumed the office as soon as he won the election. The date of his inauguration ceremony hasn’t been decided yet. Park will finish the uncompleted portion of Oh’s term through June 2014.
When it comes to Oh’s controversial Han River Renaissance Project and whether he will roll it back, Park told reporters, “I can’t make a unilateral decision on it. Through the joint governance committee, I will gather opinions from experts, working-level officials and citizens.”
Park, who has no party affiliation, promised such a committee to get support during his campaign from liberal parties. He said he would be its chair and two liberal politicians, Representative Park Young-sun, a Democratic Party lawmaker who challenged him in the Seoul mayoral primary, and Choi Gyu-youb of Democratic Labor Party will be members.
“The ruling Grand National Party suspected that the joint governance committee will ruin the autonomy of the city government’s administration, but the committee is just advisory,” Park said. “I think a government organization can’t solve social problems by itself.
“The reason [for Oh’s resignation] was also due to a lack of communication,” Park said. “I will manage the city’s administration based on rationality and common sense.”
The mayor of Seoul has significant power, and he is often referred to as a “mini-president” because he is the administrative leader of a capital city with 10.57 million residents. Last year alone, the Seoul Metropolitan City’s budget was more than 20.61 trillion won and 16,228 public servants were working for the city. Including the district offices and city-invested offices, 66,142 civil servants are under the mayor’s leadership.
By Kim Hee-jin [heejin@joongang.co.kr]
한글 관련 기사 [머니투데이]
박원순, 무상급식 첫 결재 이유는..."시정 파탄낸 갈등 정리 위해"
[기자실 찾아 "지방공동정부는 협치기구"]
박원순 신임 서울시장은 27일 취임 후 첫 결재로 무상급식 예산 지원안을 선택한 것과 관련해 "시정을 파탄 낸 갈등을 빨리 정리하고 싶었다"고 말했다.
박 시장은 이날 오후 시청 기자실 브리핑룸에서 기자들과 만나 이렇게 말하고 내년에는 중학교 1학년까지 무상급식이 가능하도록 예산안을 만들어 시의회에 제출하겠다고 밝혔다.
그는 "(전면적 무상급식은) 내가 가장 먼저 내건 공약이기도 하고 시의회도 초미의 관심을 갖고 있기 때문"이라면서 무상급식 예산 지원안을 맨 처음 결재하게 된 배경을 설명했다.
박 시장은 이날 첫 출근 후 시정현안 업무보고에서 그동안 지원 대상에서 제외됐던 공립초등학교 5ㆍ6학년 무상급식을 위해 예산 185억원을 시교육청에 지원하기로 결정했다.
이에 따라 다음 달부터 서울시내 공립초등학교 전 학년을 대상으로 무상급식이 실시된다.
야권단일후보로 내건 공약인 지방공동정부 운영에 대해 박 시장은 "시정의 독립적 위상을 저해할 것이란 우려가 있지만 기본적으로 자문기구"라면서 "시장 혼자 독단적인 운영으로는 많은 문제를 해결할 수 없다. 협치와 소통의 과정을 거쳐야 하며 이런 점에서 공동거버넌스는 필요하다"고 강조했다.
그는 또 "오세훈 전 시장 시절시정 난맥의 원인이 소통 부재에 있었다"며 "한강르네상스 같이 여러 사업이 혼재된 대규모 사업을 혼자 결정할 수는 없다. 한시적인 조직을 만들어 전문가들과 시민이 함께 심사해 합리적으로 의결할 것"이라고 말했다.
박 시장은 언론과의 관계 설정에 대해서도 언급했다. 이날 그는 출입기자들과 일일이 악수를 나누고 명함을 돌리면서"보통 6개월 정도 허니문 기간을 거친다고 하더라. 저와는 좀 더 길게 가져갔으면 한다"고 말했다.
그는 이어 "한나라당에선 나를 협찬 후보라 했는데 협찬 잘 얻는 게 얼마나 중요한가. 안철수 교수의 협찬과 범야권의 협찬을 얻었다. 마지막으로 얻은 게 기자들의 협찬"이라고 말해 웃음을 끌어냈다.
