[Interview] Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu: "The Leap of Korea National University of Arts Holds the Answer for Songpa"

Songpa-gu Collaborates with Various Sectors to Attract 'Korea National University of Arts'... Emphasizes It as the Only Viable Alternative to Realize KNUA Vision While Addressing Development Pressure and Ecological Conservation Simultaneously

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “The optimal location for Korea National University of Arts (Korea Arts) is Songpa-gu. Strategic judgment is necessary to enable Korea Arts to achieve global competitiveness.”

Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu, recently expressed his strong determination to attract Korea Arts in an interview.

Opened in June 1990, Korea Arts currently educates all fields of art, including six genres: music, theater, film, dance, fine arts, and traditional arts, as well as architecture, literature, and arts management. It is Korea’s representative cultural and artistic cradle where different genres meet and new creative activities occur.

However, with the designation of Uireung (懿陵, the tomb of King Gyeongjong of Joseon and Queen Seonui of the Eo clan) near the Seokgwan-dong campus in Seongbuk-gu as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, relocation has become inevitable due to the Uireung restoration plan.

Accordingly, Songpa-gu is making every effort to attract Korea Arts to the area around 445-1 Bangi-dong. The “Campus Basic Plan and Expansion Study” commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism last year is nearing completion, and among six candidate sites including Songpa-gu, a relocation site may be finalized as early as the first half of this year.

Mayor Park continued the conversation, stating, “There are three main reasons why Korea Arts should be located in Songpa-gu.” First, students and faculty strongly desire the move to Songpa-gu. In surveys conducted twice by the Korea Arts Student Council in 2016 and 2019, over 80% of students preferred Songpa-gu. Also, the planned relocation site in Songpa is a 120,000㎡ area capable of accommodating all six dispersed Korea Arts schools. It is the only site within Seoul where an integrated campus desired by Korea Arts can be established. Being partly in a greenbelt area, it is an optimal location for ecological preservation and resisting development pressure.

Second, Songpa has diverse cultural and artistic infrastructure, creating significant synergy effects. Songpa was the capital of the 500-year Hanseong Baekje period and is home to Olympic Park, art museums, and K-Art Hall. When the Seoul International Exchange Complex District is developed around Jamsil in the future, exhibition and convention centers as well as international performance halls will be established. This will enable co-growth as a mecca of global culture and arts.

Third, Songpa-gu is a transportation hub with excellent geographic location in Seoul. For Korea Arts, which has students from all over the country, this is a crucial locational advantage. Five subway lines (2, 3, 5, 8, and 9) pass through, and the Gyeongbu, Jungbu, and Capital Region First Ring Expressways provide excellent accessibility. Mayor Park added, “Although the planned relocation site is located in a greenbelt area under strong urban development pressure, if the school land is used wisely, ecological preservation and protection of natural green spaces can be achieved.”

The school site proposed by Songpa-gu is part of the 460,000㎡ area around 445-1 Bangi-dong, with a size of 120,000㎡. There is ample potential for expansion, including the creation of an integrated campus for the six Korea Arts schools.

Songpa-gu is joining hands with various sectors to attract Korea Arts and promote cultural and artistic development. It has signed business agreements with cultural institutions such as the Korea Federation of Artistic & Cultural Organizations (KFACO), the largest arts organization in Korea, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, and the Lotte Cultural Foundation.

Additionally, on the 4th, Songpa-gu signed a business agreement with three neighboring local governments?Gangdong-gu and Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province?to strengthen broad regional cooperation for attracting Korea Arts. Mayor Park Seong-su emphasized again, “If we prioritize the vision and uniqueness as an arts school, the answer is clear. Beyond political reasons or balanced development logic, the optimal choice to elevate the status of Korea’s culture and arts is Songpa-gu.”

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