Nowon-gu Mayor Oh Seung-rok Discusses with University Students Including Kwangwoon University... Why?

Nowon-gu Envisions a Young Nowon Together with Student Representatives from Six Local Universities

On the 27th, invited executive members of student councils from six universities in Nowon-gu including Kwangwoon University, Samyook University, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul Women’s University, Induk University, and Korea Bible University

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok personally introduced the district’s vision... Revealed a blueprint for Nowon with youth

Shared university-specific issues and promised active solutions from the district

On the 27th, Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, invited executive members of the student councils from six local universities to share the district’s vision and listen to university issues.

Nowon-gu is home to a total of seven universities: ▲Kwangwoon University ▲Samyook University ▲Seoul National University of Science and Technology ▲Seoul Women’s University ▲Induk University ▲Korea Bible University ▲and the Korea Military Academy.

With a youth population of approximately 135,000, accounting for about 27% of the total population, the district established the ‘Youth Policy Division’ through an organizational restructuring in January and is promoting youth policies across various fields including employment, housing, culture, and welfare.

Furthermore, to exchange opinions on overall local issues and inconveniences faced by youth and to build a cooperative system, the district planned a meeting with the executive members of the student councils, who are the closest point of contact with students.

The 'University Student Council Meeting' held at 4:30 PM in the mayor’s office was attended by nine student representatives from six local universities, excluding the Korea Military Academy. Mayor Oh Seung-rok personally explained the district’s vision and presented a blueprint for Nowon that integrates with the lives of young people.

In particular, Mayor Oh introduced the district’s four major festivals (Bulamsan Azalea Festival, Craft Beer Festival, Mask Festival, Moonlight Walk) and three major concerts (Cherry Blossom Concert, Suraksan Sunset Concert, Gyeongchun Line Autumn Concert), urging university students to “break down the barriers between academia and government and create a unique cultural and artistic scene for Nowon youth,” encouraging active participation for a young cultural city Nowon.

Kang Dong-hee, President of the Student Council at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, shared his impressions, saying, “Having participated in the Nowon Youth Policy Academy and Youth Policy Governance for a long time, I thought I knew a lot about our area, but hearing the mayor’s vision presentation directly has made me have even greater expectations for the future of Nowon-gu.”

Following this, the meeting listened to the issues and suggestions from each university and had 11 department heads respond directly. Students presented various opinions not only about campus news but also about the overall district administration.

Kim Tae-heon, Emergency Measures Committee Chair at Kwangwoon University, requested inducement of youth-run stores to revitalize the Kwangwoon-ro commercial district. Youth-run stores are a project the district has supported since 2020 by recruiting local youth with entrepreneurial dreams. In response, the Youth Policy Division explained that, moving away from the previous method of leasing idle spaces in public institutions, starting this year they plan to visit locations desired by youth, expanding youth-run stores throughout Nowon-gu, making it possible to attract them near Kwangwoon University.

Oh Yoon-young, Emergency Measures Committee Chair at Seoul Women’s University, requested enhanced security on campus and around nearby stations. The Public Safety Division promised to strengthen CCTV monitoring through the Smart City Integrated Operation Center and increase late-night patrols by the local police station in the relevant areas. They also introduced the ‘Women Single-Person Household Safety Home Set’ support project promoted by the Youth Policy Division. This project selects 100 single-person households of women aged 19 to 39 who are vulnerable to safety issues and provides smart doorbells, portable alarms, and portable sprays.

Additionally, news from various perspectives of youth was shared, including on-campus and off-campus facility construction, village bus operation, and university-leisure facility partnerships. Each department promised to visit sites with student representatives, verify and inspect conditions, and actively engage in administrative actions based on the results. Furthermore, the district plans to strengthen mutual cooperation by signing agreements with each university’s student council next month.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “It was a meaningful time to meet directly with the executive members of the student councils of local universities to share the district’s vision and listen to university issues,” adding, “We will continue to actively reflect the fresh ideas of youth in district administration to create a vibrant and youthful Nowon.”

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