[Interview] Jeon Seong-su, Seocho District Mayor, "Accelerating the Creation of a Cultural and Arts City"

Specialized Streets for Instruments, Music & Festivals, Judiciary, Book Culture, Tourism & Shopping
Service Conducted for Construction of Yangjae 2-dong Stormwater Pump Station

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “This year, we will focus on fostering ‘Seocho, a city of culture and arts’ befitting Seocho’s dignity, and creating a ‘safe Seocho’ that is flawless against various accidents and disasters.”

Seocho District Mayor Jeon Seong-su stated this in a New Year interview with Asia Economy on the 30th. Mayor Jeon is a seasoned administrative official with a solid background, having served as Seoul City Administrative Director, Senior Administrative Officer at the Blue House, and Deputy Mayor of Incheon City. He is regarded as a capable mayor combining experience and drive. At the same time, he is reportedly well-received by residents and district office staff for his approachable and non-authoritarian approach.

Entering his second year in office, Mayor Jeon expressed strong determination, saying, “In the second year of the 8th elected term, I will accelerate concretizing the blueprint for the future of Seocho based on the three administrative principles of communication, performance, and sharing.”

-You are now in your second year in office. Please share your reflections on the first year and your vision for 2023.

▲I am already starting the second year of the 8th elected term. Last year was a time to lay the basic foundation for Seocho’s future and to resolve long-standing projects one by one for the residents. First, we successfully completed our flagship pledge and project for residents exhausted by COVID-19, the ‘100-Day Daily Recovery Project.’ We also established a high-density development district unit plan for the Hyoryeong-ro area, a long-standing wish of residents, and resolved the two-way operation of bus line 4435 through the Umyeonsan Tunnel. Additionally, the plan to attract Cheongdam High School to the Jamwon area has become more tangible. Every Wednesday, I continue to meet residents directly both on-site and at the district office through ‘Jeon Seong-su Day’ and ‘Let’s Meet the Mayor’ sessions.

Building on these achievements, this year I will accelerate the concretization of Seocho’s future blueprint. To this end, last month we carefully created the ‘Four-Year District Administration Plan,’ which specifically includes eight major policy goals and 164 tasks to be pursued over the four years of the 8th elected term. I will focus all my capabilities on leading Seocho’s happy transformation.

-What is the main project you are focusing on this year?

▲There are many key projects, but if I were to highlight one, it would be the project to foster ‘a cultural and artistic city befitting Seocho’s dignity.’ The area around the Seoul Arts Center, backed by Umyeonsan Mountain, is the only place nationwide with a music culture district (Seoripul Instrument Street). Along with this, we plan to designate and revitalize the approximately 1.2 km section of Banpo-daero from Seocho 3-dong Intersection to Seocho Station as a ‘Cultural Street.’ Specifically, utilizing rich cultural infrastructure such as instrument workshops, the court complex, and the National Library of Korea, we will specialize the area into five zones: ▲Instrument Street ▲Music & Festival Street ▲Judicial Justice Hub ▲Book Culture Street ▲Tourism & Shopping Street, aiming to create a world-class street flowing with culture and romance like Paris’s Champs-?lys?es.

Also, we will hold distinctive seasonal and themed festivals: classical performances at Yangjae Stream in spring, the youth-themed ‘Seoripul Youth Festival’ in summer, the ‘Seoripul Festival’ along Banpo-daero in autumn, and special New Year and year-end concerts at the Seocho Cultural and Arts Center in winter, creating ‘an attractive Seocho where the scent of culture flows through all four seasons.’ In particular, we plan to establish cooperative systems such as MOUs with professional cultural facilities like the Seoul Arts Center.

This year, the nature-friendly ‘Bangbae Forest Library’ is scheduled to open. This will complete the five public libraries in Seocho’s respective zones (Banpo - Seocho Banpo Public Library, Naegok - Seocho Naegok Public Library, Yangjae - Seocho Yangjae Public Library, Seocho - Seocho Youth Library, Bangbae - Bangbae Forest Library). The ancient Greek philosopher Plato said, “A house that has a library in it has a soul,” and similarly, residents will be able to enjoy daily moments of relaxation and healing through reading at libraries near their homes.

-Safety has recently become a major issue. What are Seocho’s measures to ensure safety?

▲Safety is our top priority, first and foremost. Seocho-gu has prepared various safety accident prevention measures so that residents can enjoy a safe and comfortable daily life. Especially after experiencing heavy rains in August last year, we realized the need for permanent flood control measures. Accordingly, we are preparing comprehensive and fundamental flood relief plans for flood-prone areas such as Yangjae and Bangbae-dong. In Yangjae-dong, we are conducting basic and detailed design services for the construction of the Yangjae 2-dong rainwater pumping station, with construction set to begin next year. In Bangbae-dong, detailed design services will be conducted in the first half of the year, followed by the start of new sewer culvert construction in the second half.

Following the Itaewon tragedy, in November last year, we collaborated with the police and the Autonomous Crime Prevention Association to prepare a ‘Crowd Density Safety Accident Response Manual.’ Also, to enable predictable safety management during disasters such as heavy rain, we plan to introduce a ‘Digital Twin-based Old and Risky Facility Early Warning System’ this year. IoT (Internet of Things) sensors will be attached to old and risky facilities in the area to collect data on cracks, tilting, vibration, flooding, etc. This data will be simulated in a digital twin to predict and analyze various risks, enabling meticulous disaster preparedness.

Additionally, in case of expected bad weather or disasters, we will inform building and construction site managers of action guidelines through the ‘Building Alert App.’ We will expand the installation of ‘Seocho-type AI Crosswalks,’ smart guide signs that mutually detect pedestrians and vehicles to create a safe crossing environment for vulnerable road users. We will also operate an ‘Integrated Air Environment Management System’ based on big data and AI to proactively respond to air pollution such as fine dust, thereby protecting residents’ health from climate disasters.

-Lastly, any final words?

▲This year, I will listen carefully to residents’ voices like the ears of a rabbit and strive to realize district administration that makes residents happy. I will also devote myself wholeheartedly so that residents continue to say, “It’s really great to live in Seocho.”

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