[Interview] Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, "I Promise to Achieve 100% of My Campaign Pledges"

This year marks the groundbreaking of the long-awaited KT site advanced mixed-use development project, set to be completed in 2024 as a northeastern hub combining office, residential, cultural, and commercial facilities including the new city hall. Plans include the creation of Achasan Eoullim (林) Plaza and Achasan Donghaeng Forest Trail, the 2022 opening of Achasan Forest Library, and the 2023 establishment of the Hongryeonbong Fortress Ruins Exhibition Hall. Gwangjin-gu has earned the 'SA (Highest)' rating for three consecutive years in the basic local government pledge fulfillment evaluation. According to a Korea Gallup Survey Institute poll, 92.2% of Gwangjin-gu residents are satisfied with district administration.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] “I want to be remembered as a district mayor who acts for the residents and keeps promises. When I took office as district mayor three years ago, I promised the residents that I would achieve 100% of my pledges, and I will keep that promise.”

Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin District, said in an interview with this paper, “Three years have passed since the 7th local election. The first year was focused on practicality in district administration, building a new system centered on eight sectors and 68 projects. The second year was a year of leap forward, and now, at the three-year mark, the pledge fulfillment rate has reached 75%, showing visible results.” He added, “The center of district administration is always the residents. To lead changes in Gwangjin that residents can feel, we have discovered 158 new projects this year, of which 50 are projects that directly impact residents’ daily lives.”

This year, Gwangjin District became the first in Seoul to support transportation costs for children and adolescents aged 6 to 18, who are in transportation blind spots during the COVID-19 pandemic, by providing village bus fare assistance. Additionally, the district is promoting the ‘Gwangjin Mom Taxi’ project, allowing pregnant women and families with infants to safely use dedicated taxis when going to hospital appointments. To ensure residents’ safety in daily life, the district has subscribed to residents’ life safety insurance that covers medical expenses for injuries caused by various disasters and accidents, as well as group bicycle insurance that compensates for bicycle accidents.

Furthermore, the district is transforming Achasan, Gwangjin’s representative landmark, into a natural resting space where culture and history come alive. They are creating Achasan Eoullim (Forest) Plaza and Achasan Donghaeng Forest Trail, planning to open Achasan Forest Library in 2022, and the ‘Hongnyeonbong Fortress Ruins Exhibition Hall’ in 2023. Especially, the long-awaited KT site advanced business complex development project, including a new district office building, office, residential, cultural, and commercial facilities, began construction this year and is scheduled for completion in 2024, becoming the representative hub of the northeastern area.

Gwangjin District signed a ‘win-win agreement’ as part of a partnership with KT to provide direct benefits to residents. The new district office site will be donated directly to Gwangjin District by KT upon their request, and the basement (2nd underground floor) of the new office will be open free of charge for 30 years as a community convenience space. Mayor Kim said, “Through the win-win agreement, we achieved no installation of construction site cafeterias (hambajip), priority job opportunities for Gwangjin residents, and priority purchase of goods from local businesses.” He emphasized, “By linking the smart regeneration project, which transforms the Guui Station area into an ‘advanced industry technology testbed’ with 20 billion won secured through Seoul city public projects, the large-scale development of the Guui Station area will successfully connect Konkuk University Station, Guui Station, and Gangbyeon Station, becoming the core center of the northeastern area’s east-west development axis.”

Mayor Kim, who spent half of his term amid the COVID-19 crisis, also led Gwangjin’s proactive quarantine measures. Before the Shincheonji incident, the district sought cooperation from religious facilities for quarantine. It was the first in the nation to install a temporary screening clinic on a university campus. After the Itaewon cluster infection, the district immediately formed a ‘Special Task Force for Entertainment Facilities’ and conducted inspections in the food street area. Ahead of the Seoul mayoral by-election, Gwangjin was the first nationwide to conduct preemptive testing for all election staff involved in voting and counting. Recently, it became the first in Seoul to support communication fees for the ‘080 Easy Phone Check-in Service’ targeting businesses required to keep entry logs. Other proactive measures included placing hand sanitizers in all elevators in the district, distributing masks twice to all residents, and operating safe accommodations and safe restaurants.

To revitalize the local economy, which has been depressed due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, Gwangjin District provided the nation’s first ‘interest-free and no-guarantee Gwangjin-type small business loan support.’ In 2020, 32.2 billion won was provided in special interest-free and no-guarantee loans, and this year, 32 billion won has been prepared. Mayor Kim said, “Now, alongside improving and adapting the quarantine system, we are focusing all efforts on increasing vaccination rates.” He added, “From July, when the vaccination target expands, we will operate a second vaccination center at Junggok Culture and Sports Center, aiming for over 70% of residents to complete their first vaccination by September, responding swiftly in line with government policies.”

The residents’ response to these efforts by Mayor Kim Seon-gap was reflected in the recent ‘Gwangjin Residents’ Happiness Index Regular Survey.’ According to a May survey by Gallup Korea (95% confidence level, ±3.5% margin of error), satisfaction with district administration was 92.2%. Mayor Kim stated, “The current pledge fulfillment rate is 75%, and all ongoing projects are expected to be completed by June 2022. We will implement resident-satisfying administration and lead changes in Gwangjin that residents can feel.”

Gwangjin District plans to complete the smart urban regeneration of the Guui Station area and the KT site advanced business complex in 2024, keeping pace with the spread of untact culture and the development of the ICT industry. In July this year, the Junggok-dong Comprehensive Medical Complex will be completed, fostering a specialized strategic hub focused on medical, education, and research work. To boost the depressed local economy, the district will attract Seoul’s smart solution anchor facility next year, promote specialized projects for the small-scale sewing industry, and start tailored corporate support through the ‘Gwangjin Business Center’ construction in February 2022. Additionally, to support the rapidly increasing single-person households, customized support projects will be implemented, and to prevent the social issue of child abuse, a 24-hour child abuse reporting and investigation system will be established. Mayor Kim Seon-gap said, “Gwangjin District has raised regional value and faced the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. Thanks to the active cooperation and interest of residents, we have been able to steadily solve difficult challenges. However, COVID-19 is still with us. We will do our best to sequentially vaccinate all residents and achieve herd immunity as soon as possible.”

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