[New Year Interview] Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, "Creating a Vibrant Mapo Where Residents Are Happy"

Establishing a Dense Mapo-style Welfare Delivery System through Rooted Welfare... The Unfinished Transformation and Evolution of Red Road... Creation of a Pet Park... Practicing Servant Administration Based on Fairness and Principles

"The year 2024 will be a time to build a 'New Mapo, Better Mapo' with definite changes through warm growth and to establish a framework that matches this vision."

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, revealed his plans for the new year and stated that he aims to produce concrete and practical results.

Mayor Park explained the establishment of an efficient welfare delivery system called the 'Mapo-type Welfare Delivery System,' plans for the development of Red Road, and the creation of a pet camping site. The following is a Q&A with Mayor Park.

- What are the goals and vision for the district administration in 2024?

▲ Our priority will be the 'establishment of the Mapo-type Welfare Delivery System' to efficiently deliver various welfare services and improve the sense of welfare among residents. Since Mapo lacks sites suitable for attracting manufacturing industries or startups, we plan to drive district development through the tourism industry to invigorate the local economy. Additionally, with the belief that it is better to over-respond than under-respond in protecting residents' lives and property from disasters, we will strengthen the disaster management system.

- The 'Silppuri Welfare' system, a Mapo-type welfare delivery system, stands out. Could you explain?

▲ To efficiently deliver the increasing welfare services and enhance their impact, I believed a 'dong-centered' welfare delivery system was necessary. The policy to achieve this is 'Silppuri Welfare,' which consists of the Silppuri Welfare Center, Silppuri Donghaeng Center, and Silppuri Welfare Fund. The Silppuri Welfare Center aims to build one integrated welfare center per dong, housing key facilities tailored to local characteristics in one building, accessible to all age groups. The Silppuri Donghaeng Center will reorganize existing community centers to focus on welfare and health, strengthening support for crisis households and vulnerable groups facing difficulties.

In the future, we also plan to promote the Silppuri Welfare Fund project, which will create resident participation funds at the dong level to support local hardships through community involvement.

- What are the future development plans for Red Road?

▲ Red Road has become one of Korea’s representative tourist attractions and one of the world’s top three streets, visited by 52% of foreign tourists coming to Seoul. This year, we plan to take a step further by accelerating the transformation and evolution of Red Road to revitalize the local economy through tourism activation. The traveler convenience facilities, busking zones, and the Meeting Square’s aging facilities located in Red Road R1~R2 zones will be redeveloped into comfortable spaces equipped with convenience. In particular, we plan to promote the Red Road R7 specialized street and a lawn project connecting to the Han River, naturally linking tourists from Hongdae to Hapjeong-dong and the Han River.

- What are the plans for creating a pet camping site?

▲ According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, one in four citizens owns a pet. Therefore, we are promoting the 'Pet Camping Site Creation' as a campaign project. Utilizing 2,863㎡ of district-owned land within Nanji Hangang Park, we plan to create camping decks, a dog agility course, rest areas, and operate a dog behavior counseling room and a dog culture classroom.

- What is the most important issue you will focus on in district administration?

▲ I will lead the district administration with the highest priority on transparent public service based on fairness and principles, and an administration that serves only the residents. I will be a steward mayor responsible for the lives of 370,000 Mapo residents, not a politician working for votes. As an honest mayor, I will manage the district efficiently with limited budgets so that all Mapo residents?from young children to the disabled and the elderly?can enjoy sufficient welfare benefits.

As I always believe, "If you do your best, you will have no regrets even if you fail; if you do not do your best, you will regret even if you succeed," I will do my best from the beginning to the end of my term.

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