Yongsan District Mayor Seong Jang-hyun Leads Opening of 'Ichon Security Center'... What’s the Story?

Alternative Measures Following Ichon Police Substation Closure: Opening Ceremony on April 29... Operated as a 'Hub-Type' Security Center to Minimize Security Gaps... Long-Term Plan to Establish a New Police Substation at an Alternative Site in Ichon-dong

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan District, is delivering a speech including stories and greetings at the opening ceremony of Ichon Police Substation.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) is drawing attention by opening the Ichon Security Center located in Dongbu Ichon-dong.

On April 29, the district held an opening ceremony for the Ichon Security Center at the basketball court of Ichon 1-dong Community Center (Youth Training Center, Ichon-ro 71-gil 24), and officially opened it on May 1.

There is a special story behind the opening of the Ichon Security Center.

The closure of the Ichon Police Substation began in October 2007 when Market Day LLC purchased the Ichon Police Substation site (Kkumnamu Small Park, 1,412.6㎡) and the nearby Ichon Small Park (1,736.9㎡) from the Government Employees Pension Service for about 4.2 billion KRW.

Market Day demanded the police relocate the substation. When the police did not accept this, Market Day filed a lawsuit in 2013 claiming usage fees for the substation site and won in 2017. In 2017, they also filed a lawsuit for the demolition of the substation and won in both the first and second trials.

Last year, Market Day even purchased the substation building, making the police situation more difficult, as they had to pay a monthly rent of 16.5 million KRW (including VAT).

Ultimately, in March, the police requested cooperation from the district for a security center location that is ▲frequently visited by residents and easily accessible ▲highly visible and close to the original substation location ▲capable of accommodating seven staff members at a time and serving visiting citizens ▲and allows parking for patrol and traffic vehicles.

Mayor Seong Jang-hyun of Yongsan-gu comprehensively assessed the situation and selected the Ichon 1-dong Community Center as the optimal site for operating the security center, carrying out remodeling work over the past month.

Recently, Market Day promised the police rent exemption and requested the substation to remain, but the police did not accept this.

The opening ceremony lasted 30 minutes, including the national anthem, introduction of attendees, progress report, mayor’s congratulatory speech, ribbon cutting, and facility tour, with about 70 people including Mayor Seong Jang-hyun and Kim Dong-kwon, Chief of Yongsan Police Station.

As an alternative to the closure of the Ichon Police Substation (April 30), the district created the security center on the second floor of the Ichon 1-dong Community Center building (first floor from the main entrance). It is 27㎡ in size, with partial expansion of the lobby.

The operation is handled by Yongsan Police Station. The official name is Hangang-ro District Unit Ichon Security Center. The police upgraded the nearby Hangang-ro Police Substation to Hangang-ro District Unit and integrated management of the Ichon Security Center.

In particular, unlike existing security centers that mainly handle daytime civil consultations, the Ichon Security Center operates as a “hub-type” security center, staffed by seven officers during the day and four at night, equipped with two 112 and traffic patrol vehicles.

A police official said, “Since the Hangang-ro District Unit and Ichon Security Center establish a dual safety net, rapid response is possible in emergencies,” adding, “There will be no security gaps.”

The district provides the security center space to the police free of charge (usage permission). In the long term, a new police substation will be built on a nearby alternative site through a housing reconstruction project.

Mayor Seong Jang-hyun of Yongsan-gu said, “The district will provide meticulous support to ensure the smooth operation of the Ichon Security Center.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.