"Flashing East and West, There's No One Like Hong Gil-dong"... Park Kang-soo, Mayor of Mapo-gu, Handles an Unimaginable Schedule

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District (right), visited the Daejeon National Heritage Agency on the afternoon of the 21st and, after submitting an official letter urging the designation of the late former President Kim Dae-jung's residence in Donggyo-dong as a temporary national registered cultural heritage, is having a conversation with officials.

Park Gang-su, the mayor of Mapo District, is a mayor who handles about 20 schedules a day.

He is famous as a ‘superhuman mayor’ who meets residents and oversees district affairs from early morning until late at night.

After taking office as the mayor of Mapo District in the 8th local election, he created the ‘Hongdae Red Road’ purely based on his own ideas, revitalizing the Hongdae commercial district that was dying due to COVID-19. This has emerged as a representative brand road product not only in Seoul but throughout South Korea.

He then developed the Hapjeong-dong Sky Road and Yeonnam-dong Kkirikkiri Road, earning the nickname ‘magician-like mayor’ for revitalizing local commercial areas.

Additionally, the ‘Filial Piety Meal,’ which provides a lunch to seniors aged 75 and older and encourages conversation among them, was praised by President Yoon Suk-yeol at a public discussion on people’s livelihoods and has become a nationwide welfare product for elderly care.

Mayor Park is a mayor full of ideas. His diverse planning skills are evident, with as many as 60 patents related to his projects.

This Mayor Park held the 17th Mapo Naru Salted Shrimp Festival’s eve event on the Hongdae Red Road, inviting foreigners.

This appeared to be an effort to solidify the image of the Hongdae Red Road, which 52% of foreigners visiting Seoul come to, and to expand the Mapo Naru Salted Shrimp Festival into a global festival.

Following the eve event on the 17th, Mayor Park immediately took on another major schedule after the four-day Mapo Naru Salted Shrimp Festival held from the 18th to the 20th.

Janggu Master Park Seo-jin donated 15 million won on the evening of the 20th, the last day of the 17th Mapo Naru Saeujeot Festival, for the Mapo-gu filial piety meal service. In the center is Park Kang-soo, Mayor of Mapo-gu.

On the afternoon of the 21st, Mayor Park visited the National Heritage Agency in Daejeon to submit an official letter urging the designation of the former residence of former President Kim Dae-jung (hereafter referred to as ‘Donggyo-dong Residence’) as a temporary national registered cultural heritage.

Mayor Park delivered the request letter for the temporary national registered cultural heritage designation of the Donggyo-dong Residence to the National Heritage Agency and strongly emphasized the historical value and the necessity of cultural heritage registration of the Donggyo-dong Residence through meetings with officials.

The late President Kim Dae-jung’s residence at 178-1 Donggyo-dong, Mapo District, is a historical and cultural space encompassing modern and contemporary Korean history, where President Kim and his wife lived for over 50 years.

However, in July, the Donggyo-dong Residence was sold to a private business owner, putting it at risk of being remodeled for commercial purposes at any time. The district explains that urgent registration as a temporary national registered cultural heritage is necessary to preserve the original form of the Donggyo-dong Residence.

In 2020, the Donggyo-dong Residence was also submitted for cultural heritage registration to the Seoul Cultural Heritage Committee but was rejected because 50 years had not passed since the new construction. However, with the amendment of the Modern and Contemporary Cultural Heritage Act in September, a legal basis for cultural heritage registration has emerged.

Park Gang-su, mayor of Mapo District, stated, “Although there is public criticism over the sale of the residence to a private individual despite the late Lee Hee-ho’s wish for it to be used as a memorial hall, we cannot give up this precious historical and cultural asset of modern and contemporary Korean history for that reason.”

In addition to the Donggyo-dong Residence, the district holds numerous presidential memorial facilities such as the former President Choi Kyu-hah’s house (Registered Cultural Heritage No. 413), the Park Chung-hee Presidential Memorial Hall, and the Kim Dae-jung Presidential Library. After requesting the temporary national registered cultural heritage designation, the district plans to establish a support organization to purchase the residence and proceed with the formal national heritage registration process. They also intend to promote public consensus through publicity challenges and support projects such as granting honorary road names like ‘Kim Dae-jung-gil’ and installing guide signs.

Park Gang-su, mayor of Mapo District, dressed in a 'Satto' costume, is declaring the opening of the 17th Saeujeot Festival.

Through this, Mapo District expects the ‘Donggyo-dong Residence,’ an important historical heritage of South Korea, to become a future historical and cultural asset that everyone can enjoy together.

Park Gang-su, mayor of Mapo District, said, “The late President Kim Dae-jung was the first Korean Nobel Prize laureate regardless of political views or ideology and devoted himself to peace in South Korea. Therefore, the Donggyo-dong Residence holds significant historical value as a symbol of democratization and peace in South Korea.”

He added, “Preserving such a historical space, sharing it together, and passing it on intact to future generations is the rightful responsibility and role of the nation.”

Mayor Park Gang-su has been applauded for showing unwavering sincerity in hosting seniors, revitalizing local commercial districts, and inheriting the nation’s important heritage.

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