Choi Ho-kwon and Oh Se-hoon Join Hands to Open the 'Yeongdeungpo Golden Age'?

Mayor Oh Se-hoon Announces the Great Hangang Project

Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced the ‘Great Hangang Project’ on the 9th, unveiling plans to build the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center in Yeouido Park... Through redevelopment of the 65-story Sibeom Apartment and more, the creation of Yeouido as the ‘Manhattan of Korea’ seems imminent

“Seeing Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s announcement of the ‘Great Hangang Project,’ it finally feels like the Yeongdeungpo-gu era, including Yeouido development, is about to fully open.”

This was the sentiment expressed by a resident of Yeongdeungpo-gu, Mr. A.

With the Sibeom Apartment in Yeouido having been completed over 50 years ago, there has been strong demand for redevelopment, and Mayor Oh’s announcement suggests a ‘complete transformation’ level of regional development is just around the corner.

Mayor Oh envisions Yeouido becoming a city akin to ‘New York Manhattan’ soon, with projects such as the ‘Seoul Port,’ the construction of the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center, and the development of the 65-story Sibeom Apartment.

For Mayor Oh, just as former Mayor Lee Myung-bak secured the presidency through projects like the ‘Cheonggyecheon Restoration’ and the introduction of ‘bus-only lanes,’ successfully executing the ‘Great Hangang Project’ and the ‘Yeouido Transformation Project’ would greatly aid his presidential ambitions.

For this reason, Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) issued a statement welcoming the Seoul city government’s ‘Great Hangang Project’ announced on the 9th.

The district especially welcomed Mayor Oh’s announcement to build the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center in Yeouido Park.

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “This project secures a landmark performance hall that supports the development of Seoul’s only ‘Cultural City’ designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, fulfilling both the ‘justification’ and the ‘practical benefit’ of securing a resident-friendly, district-run cultural facility site in Mullae-dong that residents can actively use.”

On the 9th, Seoul city announced the ‘Great Hangang Project’ aimed at respecting the natural ecology of the Hangang River while enhancing convenience and attractiveness to improve citizens’ quality of life, invigorate the waterfront, and boost Seoul’s urban competitiveness.

Choi Ho-gwon, Yeongdeungpo District Mayor

The district expressed strong support for the announcement regarding the construction of the ‘2nd Sejong Cultural Center’ in Yeouido Park and the commitment made during the Q&A session to actively support the construction of a district-run complex cultural facility in Mullae-dong.

Originally, the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center was a project where the district would provide the land free of charge, and Seoul city would be responsible for construction and operation.

However, during a detailed review of the implementation plan for the 8th municipal administration’s pledges, it was determined that free land use is only possible for up to five years under the Public Property Act, and a reassessment of whether the use is free or paid must be conducted every five years. Therefore, “permanent free use approval,” which is a prerequisite for building on district-owned land in Mullae-dong, was judged to be impossible from the start.

Accordingly, the district began informing residents of this fact through various media interviews, Yeongdeungpo-gu newsletters, and meetings with residents and organizations.

They emphasized that legally, permanent free use consent is impossible, and that the basic policy of the city and city council is to build municipal facilities on city-owned land. They also continuously stressed the urgent need to expand the poor local cultural infrastructure and that Yeongdeungpo-gu, as the economic and transportation hub of the southwest region with historical significance, is the optimal location for the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center.

As a solution, the district has proposed building the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center on a larger city-owned site within Yeongdeungpo.

Additionally, in response to ongoing requests from local artists, cultural school students, and Mullae Art Village creators for ‘expanding insufficient cultural infrastructure,’ the district has planned to expand resident-driven, community-based cultural infrastructure and has actively proposed this to Seoul city.

Seoul city has thus promised active support for building the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center in Yeouido Park and the district-run complex cultural facility on the Mullae-dong site.

Therefore, the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center is expected to be constructed on a site about 1.8 times larger than originally planned, with Yeouido Park’s approximately 230,000㎡ area as its backdrop.

The district-owned Mullae-dong site of 12,947㎡ is expected to gain momentum for the construction of a complex cultural facility for local residents and cultural artists.

With this, Yeongdeungpo-gu has effectively expanded its ‘1+1 cultural infrastructure’ alongside the large performance hall in Yeouido Park, laying the foundation for sustainable development as a cultural city.

Moreover, by reclaiming the Mullae-dong site for residents, the district saved billions of won in budget that would have been needed to purchase land for the district-run cultural facility.

Furthermore, the construction of the district-run complex cultural facility will provide affordable spaces for local artist associations, cultural school students, and Mullae Art Village creators who have faced limitations in performance, exhibition, and creative spaces, enabling stable artistic activities.

The operational scope of cultural city project leaders such as the Yeongdeungpo Cultural Foundation and the Yeongdeungpo-gu Artists’ Federation will also be sufficiently secured.

Residents near the Mullae-dong site are expected to enjoy the benefits of a resident-friendly ‘cultural salon’ where they can comfortably experience and participate in culture and arts right in front of their homes.

The district plans to promptly proceed with the project after conducting resident briefings and collecting public opinions for the construction of the district-run complex cultural facility.

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, stated, “This announcement will be a milestone for Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul’s only cultural city designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to truly emerge as Seoul’s cultural center. We will do our best to maximize residents’ benefits through speedy project implementation.”

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