[Interview] Seong Jang-hyeon, Yongsan District Mayor, "Will Strive to Share Future Vision for Yongsan's 'International Cultural Industry City' Reboot"

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Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan District

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “It feels like I have been on a treasure hunt for the past 11 years. Discovering the people, places, stories, historic significance, and value of Yongsan has been very enjoyable. When you find one thing, another appears right next to it. Exploring Yongsan was not easy, but I was happy. Although my term is almost over, I will do my best until the end to ensure the area develops in a way befitting Yongsan.”

Yongsan District Mayor Seong Jang-hyun shared these reflections in an interview with this publication, looking back on the 11 years since his inauguration as the 5th elected district mayor.

Since taking office, Mayor Seong has met with residents every Thursday. Starting in 2012, he visited residents through ‘Dong On-site Communication.’ These efforts have yielded numerous achievements.

First, through the establishment of the Yongsan Dream Tree Scholarship Fund, from 2013 to this year, scholarships totaling 1.1624 billion KRW were awarded to 2,919 students. In 2014, Yongsan enacted the nation’s first ordinance for Senior Citizens’ Day, and currently operates two district-run nursing homes with over 80 beds each, the only ones of their kind in Seoul. In 2016, the Yongsan Welfare Foundation was launched, providing support amounting to 12 billion KRW to date. The Yongsan Jeju Youth Hostel opened in 2017 and received the highest rating in the 2020 comprehensive evaluation of youth training facilities conducted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. In November of the same year, the ‘Community Space Yongsan Youth Jium’ was inaugurated to support the expansion of youth communities, capacity building, and cultural creative activities.

Moreover, the historical restoration projects that revive local characteristics are Mayor Seong’s specialty. In 2015, a memorial monument for activist Yu Gwan-sun was erected; in 2016, the Hyochangwon Martyrs’ Shrine was refurbished and opened to the public. The Yongsan Craft Center opened in 2018, creating jobs for seniors. In 2020, the Lee Bong-chang History Echo Hall was established. Notably, projects such as ‘100 Yongsan Historical and Cultural Landmarks’ and ‘In Search of Yongsan’s History’ have been promoted, with informational plaques installed at 100 modern and contemporary historical and cultural sites.

Recognizing these efforts, in April this year, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups designated the ‘Yongsan Historical and Cultural Special Zone’ as a regional specialized development zone (Yongsan Historical and Cultural Renaissance Special Zone). By 2024, 51 billion KRW will be invested in four major specialized projects. The Yongsan Railroad Hospital building is being remodeled into a local history museum (Yongsan History Museum), scheduled to open in the first half of next year.

During the remainder of his term, Mayor Seong stated he will focus all administrative power on completing the construction of the Yongsan History Museum and breaking ground on the Dementia Safety Village.

Regarding the creation of Yongsan National Park, Mayor Seong said, “The U.S. military base is right in the middle of Yongsan. Residents have long been restricted by height limits on buildings and inconvenienced by having to detour around the base. Now that the base is relocating and becoming a park, the central government is the main body responsible for the national park, but local governments cannot just sit back and expect it to be done.”

Originally, the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command located within the Yongsan base was to remain, but thanks to efforts by Yongsan District and Seoul City, it was decided in June 2019 to relocate to the Pyeongtaek U.S. military base. The U.S. Embassy staff housing, consisting of 150 units, has also been proposed an alternative site. Currently, there is strong pressure to relocate the Dragon Hill Hotel.

In August last year, the sites of the National Museum of Korea, the War Memorial, and Yongsan Family Park were incorporated into the Yongsan Park development zone. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has included the Yongsan Family Park site as one of the candidates for the construction of the National Lee Kun-hee Donation Museum (hereafter Lee Kun-hee Donation Museum). Mayor Seong stated, “Considering building the Lee Kun-hee Donation Museum in Yongsan is a decision perfectly aligned with the principles of utilizing the donated collection.”

He added, “Accessibility is important to expand the public’s cultural enjoyment opportunities. Yongsan is served by subway lines 4 and 6, the Gyeongwon Line, Gyeongui Line, and Line 1 national rail, with plans to connect to the Shinbundang Line, making access from the metropolitan area easy. Using KTX Yongsan Station, Seoul Station, the Gyeongbu Line, and Gangbyeonbuk-ro, visitors from all over the country can conveniently visit. There is also an airport railroad station within the city, facilitating access for international visitors.”

Furthermore, the Yongsan Maintenance Depot site near the planned Lee Kun-hee Donation Museum in Yongsan will be developed into an international business district. Mayor Seong said, “The international business district is an opportunity for Seoul to transform into a world-class city like New York and Washington. The time has come to unite the treasures of Yongsan discovered over the past 11 years into one. During the remainder of my term, I will focus on completing ongoing projects and sharing a future vision so that Yongsan can leap forward as a leading international cultural industry city.” He concluded the interview with these remarks.

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