Seoul is a dynamic city. The lights rarely go out. Seoul is known for a lot of things, but its"owl buses" are what make it famous at night. Owl buses are public buses run by the city from mi night to dawn. Every day, around 6,400 citizens use owl buses to return home. Passengers are corporate employees and students working and studying lat at night, store owners and shopkeepers running night time businesses, and street cleaners and chauffeurs working night shifts. For these citizens, owl buses have become an indispensable means of public transporta tion that is safe and reliable. The idea for owl buses first came from a university student. He wrote an e-mail to the city suggesting that the city operate late-night buses. His suggestion was a good one, and it was reflected in city policies, quickly becoming a reality and changing the lives of citizens for the better. As such, the strength of Seoul lies in communication and collaboration with the citizens. In Seoul, the citizens are the mayor. My election as mayor of Seoul in October 2011 paved the way for citizens to become more involved aking process. My pledge to the in the city's policy-m citizens upon my inauguration was that I would be the first mayor to truly change their lives for the bet ter. I would not sacrifice their quality of life for urban development. For most of the past several decades, Seoul had focused primarily on urban development and neglected quality of life. A new way of thinking was required: the city would harness the power of the citizens. Citizens would no longer be at the receiving end of city policies; they would be at the forefront, playing an active role in shaping city policies.