Why Did Resident Kim Su-young of Sinwol 7-dong Write a Thank-You Handwritten Letter to Yangcheon-gu Mayor?

Sinwol 7-dong Hanseong Villa's Dangerous Aged Retaining Wall Transformed into a Safe Wall, Touching Letter of Gratitude from Residents Delivered

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “Living in a semi-basement in a hillside neighborhood, I developed a rare cancer, possibly due to mold, and even had to undergo surgery. I am grateful to the building department officer in charge and the district mayor for bringing a blessing to my life. Having lived in Yangcheon-gu for over 40 years, it now feels like my hometown.”

A heartwarming letter was delivered to Yangcheon-gu (District Mayor Kim Soo-young).

The letter, sent by a resident of Sinwol 7-dong to Mayor Kim Soo-young, came after the completion of repair and reinforcement work on the aging retaining wall of Hanseong Villa, which had been at risk of collapse last October. The elderly resident living in the semi-basement across the street wrote the letter neatly by hand, conveying heartfelt gratitude. In this digital age, the analog sentiment touched many and created a warm impression.

Hanseong Villa in Sinwol 7-dong (Sinwol 7-dong 331-46) had been exposed to disaster risk for years due to the danger of retaining wall collapse. The retaining wall had multiple cracks and was leaning, causing residents to constantly worry about safety accidents.

In response, the district recognized the potential safety issues in advance and continuously discussed support measures such as on-site inspections and repair and reinforcement work.

On August 6, Mayor Kim Soo-young visited the site and held a residents’ briefing session. Starting in October, the old block retaining wall was demolished and a new retaining wall was constructed, with the work completed on November 2.

During the site inspection, the severe aging of the retaining wall made it urgent to eliminate hazards, and the construction costs were considerable. Considering the residents’ financial difficulties in repairing the wall on their own, the district applied for the city’s project as part of the '2020 Safety Vulnerable Facility Repair and Reinforcement Project.' Selected as a project site, the district received budget support from Seoul City to carry out the construction.

The leaning old retaining wall and damaged railing were removed, and a new retaining wall was installed to ensure ongoing stability. Safety railings on top of the wall were also extended to the surrounding villa area, improving the hazardous environment. Residents living in Seongeun Villa across the street also saw their living environment greatly improved as the surrounding area was cleaned up through this project.

In addition, Yangcheon-gu has actively addressed safety vulnerabilities by completing repair and reinforcement work on other safety-risk facilities requiring urgent maintenance, such as the stone retaining wall behind Samjin Housing in Mok 2-dong, thereby improving hazardous environments.

Mayor Kim Soo-young of Yangcheon-gu said, “Receiving direct gratitude from residents made the emotion and sense of accomplishment feel ten times greater,” and added, “We will continue to carefully inspect local hazardous facilities in advance and work harder to ensure the safety of our residents.”

Kim Soo-young, Yangcheon District Mayor (center), and Lee Yong-sun, Member of the National Assembly (right), are inspecting the site.

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