Nowon-gu Mayor Oh Seung-rok Wins Re-election... Will Director Choi Kwang-bin Walk the "Flower Road"?

Oh District Mayor and Director Choi, who connected as Seoul Green City Bureau Chief during Seoul City Council tenure, worked 8 years after Nowon Deputy District Mayor retirement, likely setting the longest record among Seoul senior officials

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon District, led a fierce election battle to victory in the June 1 local elections, achieving re-election.

As a result, Mayor Oh's joy is beyond words.

Along with this, Choi Kwang-bin, Director of the Healing City Bureau (photo), who was brought in as Deputy Mayor of Nowon District and Chair of the Transition Committee for the 2018 mayoral election winner after forming a connection with Mayor Oh during his time as a Seoul City Council member, also cheered enthusiastically.

Director Choi graduated from the Department of Forestry at Chungbuk National University and passed the 1980 technical civil service exam in the green space category. He is a top expert in landscaping, having served as Seoul City Park Director and twice as Director of the Green City Bureau.

He was recruited as Deputy Mayor of Nowon District during the 5th term of Mayor Kim Seong-hwan and has maintained a long tenure as a senior official through Mayor Oh Seung-rok’s administration.

During his tenure, Director Choi successfully completed major projects such as environmental improvements of Jungnangcheon, Danghyeoncheon, and Uicheon streams, the creation of Bulamsan Butterfly Garden and Healing Town, and the construction of Bulamsan Forest Healing Center.

There is hardly any part of today’s beautifully cultivated Nowon District that has not been touched by Director Choi’s efforts.

In particular, Nowon District boasts outstanding natural environments such as the green areas along the foothills of Bulamsan Mountain and the Jungnangcheon and Danghyeoncheon streams, making it necessary to develop urban planning that effectively utilizes these resources.

Since taking office as Mayor of Nowon District, Oh enacted the Seoul Special City Nowon-gu Ordinance on the Creation and Promotion of Garden Culture in 2018, laying the foundation to make Nowon “a city of flowers and gardens.”

Representative projects include the “Hyu (休) Garden” initiative, which transforms neglected neighborhood parks near apartments and residential areas into “home gardens,” installation of flower pots on major streetlights and railings, and planting of herbaceous plants through neighborhood stream restoration projects.

Additionally, to systematically impart knowledge about plants and effectively manage gardens, a specialized gardening education program was established to train “village gardeners.” These village gardeners actively participate in garden culture creation projects such as the Hyu (休) Garden initiative and the Bulamsan Butterfly Garden, maintaining and managing green spaces within the community.

Director Choi has been at the center of driving these efforts. Notably, he successfully completed major projects including environmental improvements of Jungnangcheon, Danghyeoncheon, and Uicheon streams, the creation of Bulamsan Butterfly Garden and Healing Town, and the construction of Bulamsan Forest Healing Center.

Specifically, about 17.36 km of walking and bicycle paths along Jungnangcheon and Danghyeoncheon were refurbished, and a previously disconnected 0.32 km section of the Uicheon walking trail was newly established.

Also, within Bulamsan Healing Town, a new light garden was created on an 8,400㎡ azalea hill.

Lighting was installed under the railings along the circular walking trail deck to ensure safe evening strolls. Considering the surrounding green areas, indirect step lighting was used to minimize glare, allowing visitors to enjoy the subtle illumination comfortably.

Furthermore, guided landscape lighting was installed from the entrance of Hwarangdae Station on Subway Line 6 to the Nowon Bulbit Garden. The lighting uses a “wall washer” method that avoids direct light exposure, minimizing glare for pedestrians and drivers nearby.

In addition, Nowon District opened the Bulamsan Forest Healing Center at 5 p.m. on October 24 last year.

Located near Bulamsan Butterfly Garden at 51-80 Hangulbiseok-ro 12-gil (Junggyebon-dong), the Forest Healing Center was built as a single-story, two-building complex with a total floor area of 488㎡.

The main facilities consist of the Oak Building, Pine Building, and Healing Forest Garden, and healing programs led by forest healing instructors are also offered. These include daily experiences and weekly programs held four times a week, operated by advance reservation through the district’s website.

A Nowon District official expressed envy, saying, “With Mayor Oh’s successful re-election, if Director Choi works for another four years, he will set a record as the first senior Seoul city official to serve eight years continuously after retirement.”

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