What Are the Achievements of Park Jun-hee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, in the 3 Years of the 7th Local Government Term?

Gwanak S Valley, Starlight Sinsari Commercial Renaissance, Alley Revitalization Policy Establish Regional Economic Innovation Foundation... Women-Friendly & Child-Friendly City Gwanak Selected, Customized Together Welfare Realized with Gwanak Family Happiness Center... Establishing Gang Gamchan City Brand, Starlight Naerimcheon & Urban Agriculture Create a Clean Living Space Harmonizing People and Nature in Gwanak

Park Jun-hee, District Mayor, visited the startup HERO3 facility last March

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Park Jun-hee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, stated, “Over the past three years, we have been vigorously working to create a Gwanak where everyone can live happily together. As a result, even amid unprecedented crises, we have achieved remarkable changes and innovations,” adding, “This was possible because all Gwanak residents and public officials worked together as one. I am very proud and grateful,” reflecting on the third year of the 7th local government administration.

Under the core principles of innovation, communication, and cooperation, the 7th local government of Gwanak-gu, which promised to realize a ‘Together, the Best Gwanak-gu,’ has achieved significant results in various fields over the past three years, including revitalizing the local economy, customized welfare, strengthening the city brand, and creating a pleasant and safe clean city.

Based on the regional infrastructure and capabilities of ‘youth’ and ‘Seoul National University,’ Gwanak-gu is innovating its economic structure by establishing a self-sustaining startup ecosystem and promoting ‘Gwanak S Valley,’ where young people can stay, work, and start businesses locally through strengthening and supporting startup capabilities.

Centered around Nakseongdae’s ‘Nakseong Venture Valley’ and Daehak-dong’s ‘Sillim Startup Valley,’ nine startup infrastructure facilities have been established in three years. By 2022, the number of startup infrastructure facilities will expand to 16, and startup spaces linked with public and private companies such as SH, LH, KT (Korea Telecom), KB Financial Group, and Woori Financial Group will be operated.

Additionally, Gwanak-gu has created a ‘Startup Support Fund’ worth 20 billion KRW, the first of its kind among basic local governments nationwide, to promote the growth and regional settlement of local companies.

Significant achievements have also been made in policies to revitalize neighborhood commercial districts. The ‘Starlight Sillim-ri Commercial Renaissance’ project, worth 8 billion KRW, aimed at revitalizing the commercial district around Sillim Station, has been launched in earnest. A mid- to long-term plan for revitalizing 10 regional neighborhood commercial districts has been prepared, creating synergy effects by linking themed alleys and traditional markets.

Through strengthening social welfare policies supporting the socially vulnerable, such as multi-generational senior centers, the public ‘Sillim Daycare Center’ for senior health guardians, and the new family-friendly space ‘Gwanak Family Happiness Center,’ Gwanak-gu is building a ‘Together Welfare Gwanak’ where no one is discriminated against or marginalized. Notably, it has earned proud titles such as ‘Women-Friendly City’ designated by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and ‘Child-Friendly City’ by UNICEF.

With 230,000 participants, the ‘Gang Gam-chan Festival’ has established itself as Korea’s representative historical and cultural festival. Efforts have also been made to build the ‘Gang Gam-chan City Brand’ with competitive advantages through the honorary designation of ‘Gang Gam-chan Road,’ the dual naming of Nakseongdae’s ‘Gang Gam-chan Station,’ and attractions like ‘Starlight Naerimcheon’ and ‘Starlight Sillim-ri,’ based on the birth legend of General Gang Gam-chan.

By creating various healing spaces within the city, Gwanak-gu is revitalizing the daily lives of residents exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Projects such as the ‘Starlight Naerimcheon Special Project,’ transforming Dorimcheon into a waterfront space where clear water and green forests coexist, the ‘Gang Gam-chan Garden,’ the largest single plot in Seoul, and the ‘Gang Gam-chan Urban Agriculture Center,’ fulfilling the dreams of urban farmers, are creating a ‘Clean Living Space Gwanak’ where people and nature harmonize.

Significant breakthroughs have been made in improving transportation conditions, a long-standing wish of Gwanak residents, including the opening of the Sillim Line light rail in June next year, extension of the Western Line light rail to the front gate of Seoul National University, and early construction of the Nangok Line light rail due to its transition to a financial project.

Moreover, to overcome poor financial conditions, Gwanak-gu secured an impressive 675.8 billion KRW in external funds from the central government and Seoul City over the past three years. It also received top grades in the basic local government mayor’s pledge fulfillment evaluation, the Prime Minister’s Award at the Korea Knowledge Awards, and triple crowns in government welfare administration evaluations, earning great external achievements and honors.

Mayor Park Jun-hee expressed, “The most important value in life is happiness,” and said, “With just over a year left in my term, I will raise the quality of life and happiness index through policies that all residents can feel in their daily lives and produce visible results that residents can experience.”

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