Name: Park Won-soon Title: Mayor of Seoul Company, city: Seoul Metropolitan Government; Seoul, South Korea Number of employees: 39,649 Recent project: We started a zero-complaint project to cater to tourists, supporting our agenda to make 2016 the first year of quality tourism in Seoul. Among various efforts, we established booths where tourists can access travel information and make performance reservations along with interpretation services. First job: I moved from a rural area to Seoul to attend high school. My first job was tutoring the kid of the family I stayed with. My first career jobs were prosecutor, human rights lawyer and human rights activist. Little-known fact about you: I wrote and published 50 books about human rights, torture and laws.

Your Business

Essential business philosophy: My core philosophy is “Citizens are the mayors.” Also, we should do our best in even the smallest things, as written in the Confucian text The Doctrine of the Mean, or Zhongyong. Best way to keep a competitive edge: Innovation and governance form the pillars of my work. I solve problems based on principle, common sense, rationality and balance. Looking at the present and future of Seoul in the historical context empowers me. Yardstick of success: I had great interest in the concept of gross national happiness before I became mayor. I feel a deep sense of satisfaction when citizens are happy.

Park Won-soon as a Traveler

What is the most important item you take when traveling? I buy travel magazines at the airport and save useful information about tourism to use in speeches. How do you spend your time on board? I read and then take a nap. It’s my time to catch up on lost sleep. What is your favorite restaurant in the world? As a student in the 1990s at Harvard Law School, I’d go to a sandwich shop nearby and watch the sunset. The delicious sandwiches filled not only my empty stomach but my heart. What is your favorite destination in the world? I love cities in Western Europe that are both modernized and well-preserved. Buildings near the Alhambra in Spain remind me of roof tiles in Korea.

About Seoul

Seoul was named Best MICE City in the 2015 GT Tested Reader Survey awards. Tell us about MICE opportunities in the city. Seoul gained the image of “trust” by successfully hosting international events such as the G20 Summit. We promote marketing with partners through Seoul MICE Alliance. The city’s 2,000-year history and 24/7 transportation system are conducive to a business and tourism environment. Seoul’s new slogan is “I.Seoul.U.” What does it mean to the city, and how can travelers best experience it? The greatest meaning is it was decided by the citizens. A total of about 16,000 ideas were suggested by the people. The renowned movie director Park Chan-wook made the promotional video by collecting 12,000 video clips of Seoul from citizens globally. It is a third-generation brand flexible for people to tinker with, such as changing it to “I.Bridge.U” and so on. What are your plans for the city in 2016? We aim to become a more upgraded MICE city and will create an international exchange complex near COEX. Also, to attract 20 million tourists by 2018, we’re making efforts to preserve and restore our history, such as registering Seoul Castle Wall as a UNESCO Heritage site by 2017. We plan to create arenas where people can enjoy Korean Wave cultural performances.