By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon received United Nations Public Service Awards at the UN Public Service Day Celebration at the UN Headquarters in New York, Tuesday, on behalf of the capital.
Seoul won two awards. Arisu, the bottled tap water brand initiated by Seoul City, won for improving transparency, accountability and responsiveness; and Oasis, the online proposal system, won for fostering participation in policy-making decisions through innovative mechanisms.
Established in 2003, the awards are given to public organizations and agencies showing excellence and professionalism in the public sector
``In essence, Creative Governance _ our modus operandi _ is about improving our work processes with creativity and imagination to ultimately enrich the quality of life for our citizens and to enhance city competitiveness.'' Oh said. ``The Seoul Metropolitan Government will continue to work hard with the aim to transform Seoul into a more attractive city through this.''
The water system allows Seoulites to access up-to-date information on the quality of water supplied to their homes, while Oasis encourages citizens to participate in the city's decision-making processes by making proposals through an on-line portal.
Oh also explained other examples of Creative Governance in Seoul, such as the 120 Dasan Call Center, and the Hope and Dream and Women-Friendly City projects.
The mayor also talked with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon before the ceremony. Ban congratulated him on winning of two awards, saying it demonstrated the rapid development of Seoul's public administration. Oh asked Ban to work together to solve international environmental problems in line with the capital's successfully holding of the C40 Climate Summit in May.