Seoul Metropolitan Council Member Yoo Yong: "Expansion of Sadang 1-dong Commercial Area"... Mayor Oh Se-hoon "Actively Considering"

Proposal for the Construction of Sports Parks Including Seoul City Equestrian Centers

Mayor Oh Se-hoon (left) and Seoul City Councilor Yoo Yong

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Yoo Yong, a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee (Democratic Party, Dongjak 4), met with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on the 15th to request the expansion of the commercial area designation in Sadang 1-dong.

The proportion of commercial areas in Dongjak-gu ranks among the lowest of Seoul's 25 districts. In particular, Sadang Intersection allows transfers between Subway Lines 2 and 4, and Isu Intersection connects Lines 4 and 7. It is a transportation hub with many buses to satellite cities from Seoul, making it a place that requires not only commercial facilities but also more convenience facilities for residents, Yoo argued.

Yoo Yong emphasized to Mayor Oh Se-hoon, "Currently, only part of Dongjak-daero in Sadang 1-dong is designated as a commercial area, while most of it is classified as a Type 3 General Residential Area, which limits attracting large-scale commercial and business facilities such as department stores and shopping centers, as well as constructing necessary buildings. Therefore, it is necessary to expand the commercial area or at least upgrade the zoning to quasi-residential." Mayor Oh responded, "We will actively consider it," according to a press release from Yoo's office.

Additionally, Yoo Yong pointed out that among South Korea's 17 metropolitan cities and provinces, only Jeonnam and Seoul lack equestrian centers. Even Jeonnam is planning to build an equestrian center with national funding. Considering the status of Seoul as a world-class cultural, sports, and tourism city, the era of 30,000 USD national income, citizens' demand for leisure sports, and the needs of athletes requiring professional training, the construction of an equestrian center is an urgent task that can no longer be postponed.

Accordingly, he proposed as an alternative the creation of a sports park around the Guri Equestrian Center, which Seoul currently leases and uses.

In response, Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, "The reality in Seoul is that even basic dedicated practice fields and stadiums for sports are lacking. Although equestrian sports are perceived as a high-end sport, it is not easy to prioritize large-scale budget investment in it over other sports. However, we will consider a comprehensive plan to sequentially support various sports."

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