[Interview] Seong Jang-hyun, Yongsan District Mayor, "Focusing on Establishing Yongsan Modern and Contemporary History Museum This Year"

Focusing on Youth Welfare in the New Year... Accelerating the Construction of Yongsan Modern History Museum as a Major Project

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “There has never been a year as difficult as the past one while leading Yongsan-gu for a long time. COVID-19 completely changed ordinary daily life. However, it is said that opportunities are found in crises. K-quarantine has become a model for the whole world. Our national power has increased. Yongsan-gu also overcame the crisis of mass infection caused by confirmed cases visiting entertainment facilities in May last year, and with that know-how, successfully prevented re-spread starting from Liberation Day and carried out quarantine measures in Itaewon on Halloween in October. Although news of vaccines and treatments is coming, we cannot let our guard down. In the new year, we will continue to lead the district administration with the health and safety of residents as the top priority.”

Welcoming the new year 2021 with the commitment to “prioritize the health and safety of residents,” Yongsan-gu Mayor Seong Jang-hyun cited “strengthening youth policies” as a major achievement of the 7th local government term in an interview with Asia Economy. Mayor Seong emphasized, “There is no project that is unimportant, but we focused on welfare for the youth, who have relatively insufficient support at the national level.”

Reflecting Mayor Seong’s determination, Yongsan-gu launched a Youth Policy Advisory Group consisting of 215 members in 2018 and also established a job fund worth 11 billion KRW. For youth who are in blind spots for health checkups, physical and mental health examinations are conducted targeting reservists and civil defense personnel. In November last year, the Youth Startup Support Center and community center “Cheongnyeon Jium” were opened near the International Building in Yongsan District 4. To promote youth policies more efficiently, a dedicated Youth Support Team was newly established on July 1 last year, and this year, the organization was restructured from the existing Elderly and Youth Division to the Regional Policy Division to strengthen the system.

Mayor Seong plans to focus on the construction of the (tentative name) Yongsan Modern History Museum as a major project this year. He explained the purpose of the construction, saying, “Yongsan is the center of Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, and at the same time an old city where redevelopment and reconstruction are actively underway. The value that Yongsan holds must be preserved and passed on to future generations.”

Yongsan-gu plans to build the Yongsan Modern History Museum by remodeling the old railway hospital, which is a registered cultural heritage site, and has collected about 3,000 artifacts so far. Mayor Seong said, “After COVID-19 ends, we must also consider urban competitiveness. The key is to secure an advantage in the cultural tourism market in the era of 20 million overseas tourists,” adding, “In the long term, we will promote the designation of a (tentative name) historical and cultural museum special zone by linking the Yongsan Modern History Museum with the museum and art infrastructure in the region.”

Mayor Seong Jang-hyun, who succeeded in being elected for four terms?the first in Yongsan-gu?has achieved many results in various fields. The Dream Tree Scholarship Fund, started with the 5th local government term to support and encourage children’s dreams, has reached its target amount of 10 billion KRW. He enacted the first-ever ordinance for Senior Citizens’ Day nationwide and held grand celebrations every year. The Yongsan Welfare Foundation also achieved its goal of raising 10 billion KRW, playing a pivotal role as the hub of local welfare. The opening of Yongsan Jeju Youth Hostel, the construction of Yongsan Dream Tree Complex Town, and the historical reappraisal projects such as the construction of the Lee Bong-chang Memorial Hall have also enhanced Yongsan’s value.

Mayor Seong concluded the interview by saying, “A dream dreamed alone is just a dream, but a dream dreamed together becomes reality. Since the 5th local government term, I have been working hard with 300,000 Yongsan residents to complete ‘the center of the world, now the Yongsan era.’ I will devote my utmost efforts during the remaining term to be remembered in history as a mayor who worked hard for the happiness of residents and who led Yongsan’s development the most.”

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