[Interview] Park Seong-su, Songpa District Mayor: "'Songpa Ssaem' Plays a Major Role in Filling Educational Gaps Amid COVID-19 Crisis"

‘SongpaSsaem’ Reaches 300,000 Users, Half of District Residents Use It... Inmul Library and Future Education Center Help Fill COVID-19 Education Gaps... Songpa Dullegil Season 2, Regional Balanced Development, Redevelopment and Reconstruction Drive Prepare Songpa-gu for a Great Leap Forward

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “Now, anyone in Songpa can find and learn the education they want through ‘Songpa SSEM,’ and have dreams and hopes.”

Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa District, expressed his affection for ‘Songpa SSEM’ in an interview with this publication, saying, “Over the past three years, the cumulative number of users of ‘Songpa SSEM’ has exceeded 300,000,” and “This means that one out of every two residents has used ‘Songpa SSEM,’ showing great community response.”

‘Songpa SSEM (Songpa Smart Education Model)’ is a ‘threshold-free’ education platform developed and established independently by Songpa District, where any resident with a willingness to learn can directly participate in education and acquire knowledge. In particular, Mayor Park Seong-su strongly pushed it forward as a key project. He explained the background of building ‘Songpa SSEM,’ saying, “Education is the most important factor that determines a city’s competitiveness and future value.” He added, “Songpa District belongs to the Gangnam 3 districts known for high educational enthusiasm. Also, as the largest autonomous district in the nation with a population of 660,000, it has the highest number of schools and students in Seoul, and a high proportion of parents in their 30s and 40s, so expectations for education are very high.”

The core projects of ‘Songpa SSEM’ are fourfold: ▲ ‘Future Education Center,’ where residents learn basic literacy in advanced technologies needed in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era such as AI, 3D printing, drones, coding, and VR ▲ ‘Person Library,’ where knowledge and wisdom are shared through meetings with notable figures, similar to borrowing books from a library ▲ ‘Instrument Library and Music Creation Studio,’ where any resident can learn to play at least one musical instrument and experience creative activities ▲ ‘Education Portal,’ which allows easy searching and application for programs at 55 educational facilities within the district. Mayor Park noted, “Especially, the Person Library and Future Education Center have received positive responses,” adding, “The ‘Person Library,’ with about 700 active participants, delivers information and knowledge on various topics difficult to cover in public education, which is well received by parents. The Future Education Center is popular among students as it offers access to cutting-edge future technologies that are otherwise hard to experience.” He also explained, “Although we did not foresee the COVID-19 situation, having media facilities in the Person Library and Future Education Center, which were built with a future outlook, allowed us to adapt quickly. The Person Library actively participated in producing over 100 customized school lesson videos, supporting the ‘Songpa SSEM Homeschooling Project’ involving local university students and educational activists, which helped alleviate difficulties in education sites conducting online classes.”

These achievements led to external awards rarely seen in other local governments. Over the past two years, Songpa District has excelled in eight evaluations, including being selected as one of the top five lifelong learning cities nationwide (June 2020), receiving the UNESCO Special Award for Lifelong Learning (November 2021), and winning the Grand Prize for Innovation in Local Government in Korea (December 2021). Last year, Mayor Park Seong-su was also elected president of the National Innovative Education Local Government Council. Mayor Park stated, “Along with the ‘Songpa SSEM Head Center’ opened last December, we plan to expand the Future Education Centers to 15 by the first half of this year, so more residents can comfortably use ‘Songpa SSEM’ in their daily lives.”

In particular, Songpa District plans to focus on the youth living in the new era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution by exploring emerging job sectors and providing customized educational opportunities to develop individual job competencies. Mayor Park said, “Through ‘Songpa SSEM,’ we have presented the first independent education model by a local government where all community members take interest in and work together to solve educational issues.” He added, “Going forward, ‘Songpa SSEM’ will give children dreams and hopes, adults leisure and happiness in life, and will make Songpa District the largest school in the world and the largest campus in Seoul.”

Among Mayor Park’s projects during the 7th local government term, the ‘Songpa Dullegil’ trail has also received great love from residents. The ‘Season 2’ is currently underway, and he expressed his desire to show residents the completion of these projects leading to a great leap in the local economy, culture, and education.

He also cited important tasks such as implementing the original plan for the redevelopment of the old Seongdong Prison site, accelerating the reconstruction of Jamsil Jugong Complex 5, and lifting development restrictions to attract the Korea National University of Arts to Songpa District. Mayor Park plans to closely consult with Seoul City and related agencies to ensure these projects proceed in directions desired by residents. He said, “We will not miss overcoming the COVID-19 crisis completely, recovering the local economy, advancing large-scale development projects, and promoting balanced regional development plans.” To this end, he added, “We will continue communication with residents by class and issue to see projects through to the end. We will strengthen trust with residents so that after COVID-19, everyone can regain hope and envision a bright future.”

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