[Interview] Lee Jeong-hoon, Gangdong-gu Mayor: "Attracting GTX-D... Becoming the Eastern Transportation Hub"

In Just 5 Months, 108,508 Residents?Nearly 25% of Gangdong-gu's Population?Join Petition... Poised to Become the Eastern Transportation Hub of the Seoul Metropolitan Area

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “Attracting GTX-D is the solution to the rapidly worsening traffic congestion in Gangdong-gu. Despite the COVID-19 era, within five months, nearly 108,508 residents, close to 25% of the entire population of Gangdong-gu, participated in the petition. We will do our best to successfully attract GTX-D and provide transportation infrastructure that is both the happiness and welfare of our residents.”

Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, said he is working tirelessly to attract the GTX-D line.

Since the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Metropolitan Transportation Committee announced the ‘Western Area New Line Review’ in the ‘Metropolitan Transportation Vision 2030’ last October, the district has actively pursued GTX-D introduction by launching a resident petition campaign in March this year, starting a research project in June, holding a residents briefing session on August 5, and hosting a GTX-D new line discussion and inauguration ceremony of the attraction committee with Hanam City on August 24.

The mayor expressed strong determination, saying, “GTX is a project that connects the outskirts of the metropolitan area to major points in downtown Seoul within 30 minutes, solving the serious traffic congestion in the metropolitan area. If GTX-D passes through Gangdong-gu, travel to Gangnam will be possible within 10 minutes, and major metropolitan hubs within 30 minutes. Combined with the extension projects of subway lines 5, 8, and 9 and the opening of the Sejong-Pocheon Expressway, Gangdong-gu will emerge as the transportation hub of eastern metropolitan Seoul.”

Gangdong-gu is undergoing dynamic changes with a significant population increase due to large-scale reconstruction projects. Accordingly, expanding living infrastructure (SOC) to meet the rapidly increasing transportation demand is urgent.

The mayor said, “Currently, with a population of about 458,000, Gangdong-gu will reach 500,000 next year and 550,000 in three years, becoming the third-largest city in Seoul. We have been striving to solve the lack of welfare, cultural sports, and transportation infrastructure that has been insufficient so far.”

However, the gap between the newly emerging middle-class areas in the eastern part of Gangdong-gu, which is growing rapidly, and the old western downtown area with many aging facilities due to its long history, remains a significant issue.

The mayor explained, “We will intensively expand large-scale welfare and cultural facilities in the relatively underdeveloped downtown area to improve residents’ convenience, and in areas with rapidly increasing populations, we will develop transportation infrastructure and build libraries and other foundational facilities for new neighbors, creating a prosperous and happy Gangdong for all.”

In addition to transportation infrastructure, Gangdong-gu plans to establish 10 small convenience facilities such as the Ai·Mom Gangdong Childcare City and book caf? libraries in each living area. Ai·Mom Gangdong Childcare City is a complex childcare community facility equipped with a toy rental service, which has received high satisfaction from parents.

The mayor stated, “Seongnae Library was remodeled in the first half of this year and reopened along with the Angel Workshop Hub Center. Dunchon Library will open on October 30, and preparations are underway for the construction of the Myeongil Neighborhood Park Public Library, the 2nd Citizen Sports Center, and the Gangdong Citizens’ Hall Book and Cultural Sports Facility.”

He also explained, “Among the projects promised to residents, the Youth Culture House and the expansion project of the Haegong Senior Welfare Center recently broke ground.” The Youth Culture House is a campaign pledge of the 7th mayoral term, with a total project cost of 12 billion KRW. It will be built on a 596㎡ site at 308 Cheonho-dong, with a total floor area of 2,015.62㎡, consisting of two basement floors and four above-ground floors. Completion is targeted for the first half of 2022.

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