“Listening Ear” Administration Opens Public Channels and Leads Gochang County to Success

During the Joseon Dynasty, the so-called Three Offices—the Office of the Inspector-General, the Office of Censors, and the Hongmungwan—were established to prevent the king’s arbitrary rule and reflect the will of the people. These institutions offered candid advice to the king and, at times, risked their lives to remonstrate with him, serving as a check on royal authority. In particular, the Office of Censors repeatedly spoke frankly to correct the king’s mistakes, and if its advice was ultimately ignored, its officials sometimes showed their resolve by resigning voluntarily.

The Office of the Inspector-General monitored corruption and misconduct among government officials, while the Hongmungwan served as a policy advisory body to the king and also judged the right and wrong of state affairs. These were not merely institutions for restraint; they were institutional mechanisms designed to ensure that a leader did not decide alone, but instead gathered collective wisdom for deliberation and discussion.

A look at the rise and decline of Joseon shows just how important this “channel of communication” was. King Sejong listened carefully even to harsh remonstrance and kept the channel of communication wide open. He attended royal lectures an average of six times a month and even asked his officials to offer sharp criticism and reprimands regarding the conduct of state affairs. In the end, he ushered in a great era of peace and prosperity. By contrast, monarchs who suppressed remonstrance and silenced their officials were either overthrown in coups or saw the court fall into extreme turmoil.

This historical lesson remains valid today in 2025. An administration cut off from communication may move quickly, but it is prone to losing direction, and leadership that does not listen ultimately leads to policies that lack public empathy.

Former Daejeon Mayor Seontaek Kwon once established and operated a “Direct Civil Complaints Counseling Office” and a “Listening Sinmungo” within City Hall. He also institutionalized a monthly “Day of Communication,” when citizens could meet the mayor directly, and twice a month ran an “On-Site Mayor’s Office” aimed not at simple visits but at solving problems. He also held listening gatherings in a sarangbang-style setting with invited civic group executives and morning meetings with ordinary citizens, which received a fairly positive response.

If Gochang County’s administration, which is already producing many achievements, opens this “channel of communication” as well, it can become even more successful by gaining the sympathy and support of county residents. Only when channels of communication are open can the driving force for change emerge; only when there is change can innovation occur; and only when there is innovation can sustainable development be possible.

I propose a Gochang-style “listening administration” system for 2025. First, under the county magistrate’s secretariat, assign one junior official each to the roles of “Resident Voice Officer” and “Public Servant Voice Officer.” Second, at the Gochang County Office and the resident centers in its 14 eup and myeon, create “County Residents’ Bamboo Forest” spaces—online and offline bulletin boards where people can communicate freely, anonymously or under their real names—and establish channels through which a wide range of opinions can be gathered, including everyday civil complaints and words of praise.

Third, the collected opinions and their resolutions should be compiled monthly and regularly posted on the county office website or in newsletters. Fourth, if possible, a procedure is also needed for the county magistrate to provide direct feedback on key proposals.

Gochang is the home of the world heritage traditions of pansori and Gochang nongak; what it needs is a “keen-listening county administration.” It is a place that speaks through sound and shares emotion. Now county administration, too, must begin with sound. Not an administration in which only some people speak, but one that truly listens—one that connects voices from the ground to policy—will fill in the missing 2 percent.

Gwang yong Go

Policy Director, Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

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Director, Korean Regional Economics Association

[Source: Gochang Shinmun]

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Original title: 언로를 여는 ‘귀명창’행정이 고창군정을 성공으로 이끈다

Author: Gwang yong Go

Date: 2025-07-24

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=press&idx=27922