Yeongdeungpo-gu, Yeouido Cherry Blossom Path Opens Two Days Late from April 2

[Seoul District News] Yeongdeungpo-gu Changes Spring Flower Bloom Period to April 2-10 Considering Bloom Timing; Access Control Sections, Schedule, Pedestrian Right-Side Walking, and Cherry Blossom Path Entrances/Exits Remain as Planned... Seocho-gu Fully Reopens Yangjaecheon, Yeoecheon, Banpocheon Cherry Blossom Paths After 3 Years... Seongbuk-gu Begins Odong Neighborhood Park Development Project... Gwanak-gu Operates Severe/Emergency Treatment Center for Abandoned Animals and Supports Adoption Fees

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) announced that following the limited reopening of the Yeouido Cherry Blossom Road (Yeouiseo-ro) after three years, the opening schedule originally set for March 31 has been changed to April 2 to 10 to better align with the spring flower blooming period.

Previously, the district announced that due to the spread of the Omicron variant, the official festival would not be held, but the Yeouiseo-ro cherry blossom road would be opened from March 31 to April 8 to offer citizens a fragrant spring atmosphere and a sense of hope.

However, due to consecutive rain forecasts and lower temperatures compared to previous years causing the blooming period to be delayed by several days, the originally scheduled opening date of March 31 has been postponed by two days to April 2. The reopening aims to provide a warmer and more vibrant walking path for spring visitors to Yeouido.

Although the opening schedule has been slightly changed, the opening hours, restricted sections, and traffic control measures will operate as originally planned.

From noon on April 1 to noon on April 11, vehicle traffic will be completely restricted on the 1.7 km section of Yeouiseo-ro (behind the National Assembly). From April 2 to 10, the pedestrian path along the Yeouiseo-ro cherry blossom road behind the National Assembly, from the southern end of Seogang Bridge to the Euiwonhoe-gwan intersection, will be opened with limited access.

The pedestrian path opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.

Visitors on the cherry blossom road must walk only on the right side in one direction, and electric scooters and bicycles are prohibited. Entry and exit to the cherry blossom road are only allowed at the southern end of Seogang Bridge intersection and the Euiwonhoe-gwan intersection. All access routes from Hangang Park to the Yeouiseo-ro cherry blossom road are closed.

In addition, in line with the cherry blossom road opening schedule, Yeouido will be divided into zones based on density, and strict enforcement against illegal street vendors and unauthorized parking will be conducted.

Along with strengthening disinfection of the cherry blossom road, special management will be applied to areas expected to attract many visitors, focusing on preventing the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring safety.

Detailed information about the spring flower road opening and traffic control can be found on the official Yeouido Spring Flower Festival website.

Yeongdeungpo-gu Mayor Chae Hyun-il said, “We have changed the opening schedule to match the blooming period so that all visitors to the Yeouido cherry blossom road can fully enjoy the spring fragrance amid the full bloom of flowers. We will do our utmost to maintain facilities and conduct disinfection to ensure a safe and pleasant walking path filled with hopeful spring energy.”

Yangjaecheon Cherry Blossoms

Seocho-gu will fully open the major riverside cherry blossom paths in the district from March 30 to April 15, the cherry blossom blooming period, for the first time in three years to allow citizens exhausted by COVID-19 to fully enjoy the spring flowers.

Previously, for the past two years, the district had operated the representative cherry blossom spots in Seoul?Yangjaecheon, Yeouicheon, and Banpocheon?with restricted access and one-way walking to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, this year, following the phased recovery from COVID-19, the district has opened these paths so citizens can relax and feel spring while viewing the cherry blossoms.

The main cherry blossom path sections are: ▲Yangjaecheon from Yeongdong 2 Bridge to Yeongdong 1 Bridge to in front of the Korea Teachers' Union, covering 2.4 km ▲Yeouicheon from Maehyeon Bridge to Yeoui Bridge, covering 0.8 km ▲Banpocheon from Picheondeuk Promenade to Hemingway Road, covering 2.1 km. However, considering the rapid spread of variants such as Omicron, no official cherry blossom festival will be held.

To ensure a pleasant walking environment and visitor safety during the cherry blossom blooming period, eating and street vending within the sections will be prohibited, and illegal parking around the cherry blossom paths will be strictly monitored.

Kim Se-yul, Director of Water Management, said, “We hope citizens will heal their minds and bodies by walking along the representative cherry blossom paths of Seoul?Yangjaecheon, Yeouicheon, and Banpocheon?and enjoy the spring. We will do our best to guide compliance with quarantine rules and prevent safety accidents so that citizens can safely stroll along the riversides and enjoy the cherry blossoms.”

Expected View After the Creation of Odong Neighborhood Park

Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) began construction on April 14 for the 'Odong Neighborhood Park Development Project,' which aims to create themed spaces to expand attractions and activities at Odong Neighborhood Park, used by various age groups.

The Odong Neighborhood Park Development Project is supported by 1.9 billion KRW in city funds and will be developed over approximately 4,560㎡ in San 2-1, Hawolgok-dong (Odong Neighborhood Park), with completion targeted for June.

The project includes creating a school forest garden linked with nearby elementary schools where children can experience various plants and relax, removing hazardous trees and old facilities, planting pine and cherry trees to improve the park entrance landscape, and establishing a fragrant azalea hill that blooms beautifully in harmony with existing vegetation.

In addition to the Odong Neighborhood Park Development Project, the district plans to complete and open a children's forest experience center in April this year, where young children can freely play and connect with nature. It will also create a book resting area, a complex community space for leisure activities with books, and a healing forest trail using excellent forest resources within Odong Neighborhood Park, scheduled for completion in August. The park is expected to be reborn as a space where multiple generations can come together.

A Seongbuk-gu official stated, “Odong Neighborhood Park, a representative living area park in Seongbuk-gu visited by many users, will be fully renovated to become a space where residents of various generations can truly enjoy rest and leisure.”

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) has established and is actively promoting the '2022 Animal Welfare Implementation Plan' to continue efforts to create a Gwanak-gu where humans and animals can coexist.

The district aims for “Gwanak where people and companion animals are happy together” by strengthening protection and management of abandoned animals, fostering a culture of coexistence with stray cats, promoting animal welfare, and systematically managing animal-related businesses and complaints to ensure animal safety and life, thereby cultivating a mature companion animal culture.

Last year, the district operated a severe and emergency treatment center for abandoned animals, treating 40 severely injured or emergency abandoned animals, facilitating their adoption, and leading efforts to increase adoption rates through adoption fee support projects.

This year, reflecting the results and improvements from last year’s projects, the district will continue to operate key projects such as the emergency and severe trauma treatment center for abandoned animals, adoption fee support, medical expense support for companion animals of vulnerable groups, and companion animal behavior correction.

Emergency and severely injured abandoned animals occurring in the area will be transported to and treated at the emergency and severe trauma treatment center (Seoul National University Veterinary Hospital), and adoption will be conducted at the Animal Protection Center (Gang Hyun-rim General Animal Hospital).

When adopting from the Gwanak-gu Animal Protection Center, applicants can apply for the 'Abandoned Animal Adoption Fee,' receiving up to 250,000 KRW per animal for disease diagnosis, treatment, vaccination, neutering surgery, and animal registration. Vulnerable groups can apply for the 'Our Neighborhood Animal Hospital' project at designated animal hospitals to receive up to 390,000 KRW for essential and optional treatments.

Additionally, if 'companion animal behavior correction' is needed, residents can apply to the district office, and if selected as education targets, they can receive visits and customized training from professional behavior counselors.

In particular, starting this year, the district will send etiquette (petiquette) videos via text messages for outings with companion animals and conduct online and offline lectures to promote a mature companion animal culture through 'petiquette education.'

Furthermore, the district strives to eliminate animal welfare blind spots by operating feeding stations and restrooms for stray cats, mobile animal hospitals, and hosting festivals such as 'Coexistence with Animals Square' and 'Companion Animal Festival,' where people and companion animals can experience and enjoy together.

A district official said, “We will actively respond to various demands such as animal protection and welfare due to the increase in companion animal households. We will work hard to establish a mature companion animal culture where pet owners and non-pet owners understand and respect each other and to create an environment where humans and animals can coexist.”

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