Seong Jang-hyun, Yongsan District Mayor, Announces at the 27th Yongsan Residents' Day on the 16th that the Lee Bong-chang Memorial Hall Will Be Completed on the 21st, Along with Adjustments to the Relocation of U.S. Embassy Staff Dormitories on the North Side of Yongsan Park, Bringing Favorable Winds to Hannam New Town and Signaling a Near Transformation of the Hannam-dong Area
[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] “To create a complete national park, remaining facilities must be relocated or rearranged. The Republic of Korea and the United States will find a win-win solution.”
On the 16th, at the Yongsan Park open site (former Officer's Quarters Complex 5, 221 Seobinggo-ro), Yongsan District Mayor Seong Jang-hyun promised the creation of a complete Yongsan Park during the 27th Yongsan Residents' Day commemorative ceremony.
Mayor Seong said, “We adjusted plans to relocate the U.S. Embassy staff dormitory on the northern side of Yongsan Park to the Asia Apartment development area, preventing the disruption of the green corridor and improving residents' access to the park,” emphasizing, “Yongsan will take the lead in finding and proposing measures to ensure the park will not be a source of shame for future generations.”
Mayor Seong also announced the completion of the Lee Bong-chang Independence Activist Memorial Hall. He said, “On the 21st, the memorial hall for independence hero Lee Bong-chang, who was born and raised in Hyochang-dong and sacrificed his life in the heart of Japanese imperialism for the independence of our country, will be completed,” and requested residents to visit the memorial to pay tribute and reflect on the spirit of the independence struggle.
He added, “We will continue to preserve our assets well and add Yongsan’s unique character to stand tall as a historic and cultural city.”
There was also mention of youth policies. Mayor Seong stated, “The youth community space ‘Cheongnyeon Jium’ completed last August and the ‘Youth Startup Support Center,’ a space for youth enterprises to lead Yongsan’s innovative growth, have been completed and are preparing for operation,” declaring, “We will help young people stand tall and soar high.”
Development projects also seem to be progressing smoothly. Mayor Seong said, “All development projects across Yongsan are sailing smoothly,” adding, “A favorable wind is blowing over the entire Hannam New Town, and the day when Hannam-dong will be completely transformed is near.” He also emphasized, “With an investment of 180 billion KRW, the 100th Anniversary Independence Movement Memorial Park project will revitalize Yongsan by elevating Hyochang Park as a symbol of Korea’s identity.”
Mayor Seong also discussed the ‘hot potato’ international business district development. He said, “Once the North-South railway is connected, Yongsan will be the gateway to Europe, with the international business district at its center,” pledging, “As a local government, we will raise our voice more strongly to become an international economic hub.”
The ceremony attracted attention as the first official local government event held at the Yongsan U.S. military base (Yongsan Park), which returned to Korean hands after 116 years.
Considering the COVID-19 situation, the district held the event in a non-face-to-face format, minimizing attendees and live-streaming the entire event on YouTube.
Yongsan Residents' Day commemorates October 18, 1946, when the administrative district ‘Seoul Special City Yongsan-gu’ was first established. Since 1994, the district has held the ceremony annually around October 18.
Yongsan District Mayor Seong Jang-hyun said, “We held a historic Residents' Day ceremony at the Yongsan Park open site,” adding, “Together with about 1,300 public officials, we will continue to do our best to make Yongsan a happier place.”
Full Text of the 27th Yongsan Residents' Day Commemorative Speech
Respected and beloved 300,000 Yongsan family members! Distinguished guests present here! Hello, I am Mayor Seong Jang-hyun.
On the occasion of the 27th Yongsan Residents' Day, it is a joy and a moving moment to meet you under this clear autumn sky, as if reuniting with long-missed dear friends.
Today’s ceremony is for all residents as protagonists. Although we should hold a grand ceremony and celebrate ‘Residents' Day’ with many people, unfortunately, only representatives of residents, honorary foreign tongjangs, and youth representatives were invited, and we are meeting you through a YouTube live broadcast.
Everyone, how much hardship have you endured this year? The unprecedented infectious disease that struck the world has restricted our lives, and even during Chuseok, the nation’s biggest holiday, it was difficult to see family and relatives?a continuous hardship.
However, we are meeting everyday heroes who turn hardship into hope. Because there are medical staff and public officials who devote themselves day and night to quarantine, and especially residents who endure pain and participate in quarantine efforts.
As you saw in the earlier video, I sincerely thank all those who have shown warm hearts?from children donating piggy banks for quarantine, residents secretly donating handmade masks, to landlords participating in rent reductions?on behalf of Yongsan residents.
Also, congratulations to those receiving the Residents' Award today on behalf of 300,000 Yongsan residents. Because of your dedication to neighbors and the community, Yongsan adds a beautiful fragrance. Congratulations again on receiving the Residents' Award.
Respected Yongsan family members!
Today’s Residents' Day ceremony is held in a truly meaningful and historic place. Yes, this place where we now stand proudly is the territory of the Republic of Korea and the living room of Yongsan, the Yongsan Park open space that has returned to us after 116 years since the Russo-Japanese War in 1904. For over a century, it was forbidden land hidden behind high walls, even though it was ours.
At this moment, as the person responsible for Yongsan’s administration, I feel an overwhelming emotion that is hard to express in words, as the years of striving to create the park flash before my eyes. Yongsan Park is our home, our asset, and the goal of Korea and Yongsan.
Our district was the first local government in history to receive the return of the ‘Arirang Taxi site’ used by the U.S. military and built the Yongsan District Comprehensive Administrative Town there. Also, since the U.S. Embassy and staff dormitories were to be located on the northern side of Yongsan Park, we adjusted plans to relocate the embassy staff dormitories to the Asia Apartment development area, preventing the break in the green corridor from Namsan to the Han River and improving residents’ access to the park.
There are still tasks to be solved. According to the Korea-U.S. government agreement, the Dragon Hill Hotel, helipad, and security facilities will remain. However, for the complete creation of the national park, these remaining facilities must also be relocated or rearranged. The two governments must find a ‘win-win’ solution. We will communicate more closely with the government and take the lead in finding and proposing measures to ensure the park will be a source of pride for future generations.
Respected Yongsan family members!
The path to unification, temporarily halted by complex international circumstances, must sound the miracle of a new start from Yongsan. To do so, preparations must begin now. Our district has already enacted ordinances regarding the North-South Exchange Cooperation Fund and is laying the foundation for revitalizing inter-Korean exchanges. Our wish for peace on the Korean Peninsula will spread from Yongsan through Pyongyang to the Eurasian continent and finally become a reality. Local government Yongsan will do its best to be the catalyst for shared prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.
Dear Yongsan residents!
From now on, let us review step by step the footprints we have made tirelessly to realize ‘Yongsan, the center of the world’ and the direction we will take. The historical rectification and historic cultural special zone projects will lead Yongsan’s new development. The added value gained from history and culture is immense. As Baekbeom Kim Gu said, “The only thing I want infinitely is the power of high culture,” culture is the direction Yongsan must take.
Near New York’s Central Park, cultural facilities such as the Natural History Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art are concentrated, attracting tourists worldwide. Our future will be no less. The museums and cultural heritage surrounding Yongsan Park are enough to captivate domestic and international tourists.
Yongsan has the largest National Museum of Korea, the Hangul Museum, the Baekbeom Memorial Hall, and the War Memorial of Korea, the only comprehensive war history museum in the country. There are as many as eleven registered museums and art galleries. Every step is the center of modern and contemporary history and heritage, making the entire city like a large museum. The Yongsan History Museum is progressing smoothly on the former railroad hospital site, which will embody the joys and sorrows of residents.
Also, on the 21st of this month, the memorial hall for independence hero Lee Bong-chang, who was born and raised in Hyochang-dong and sacrificed his life in the heart of Japanese imperialism for the independence of our country, will be completed. If you have the chance, please visit the memorial to pay tribute and reflect on the spirit of the independence struggle. We will continue to preserve our assets well and add Yongsan’s unique character to stand tall as a historic and cultural city.
We will proactively respond to super-aging and strive to improve residents’ welfare. Relieving the burden on seniors and families with dementia is our top priority. We will operate the 172-bed district nursing home, the dementia relief center with a newly established ICT experience zone, and the daycare center more substantively. Especially, we will accelerate the establishment of the Dementia Relief Village, which will present a new paradigm for dementia policy in Korea.
Also, centered on the Yongsan Welfare Foundation with assets of 10 billion KRW, we will expand services such as the integrated support center for families in crisis and the Care SOS Center, and through the Disability Community Center established last year, we will embrace the pain of neighbors in need.
Moreover, the Yongsan Jeju Rest House, loved by over 110,000 users in three years since its opening in 2017, and the newly built state-of-the-art indoor sports center in International Building District 4 will provide residents with warm and refreshing places to rest.
We will actively implement policies for youth, the hope of this era. The youth community space ‘Cheongnyeon Jium’ and the ‘Youth Startup Support Center’ for youth enterprises, completed last August in the International Building District 4 area, are preparing for operation.
Also, to support youth struggling with employment and startup barriers, we will use the 11 billion KRW job fund to support startups and various employment programs. In this era when the word ‘youth’ sounds bittersweet, Yongsan will help young people stand tall and soar high.
We will also devote ourselves to easing parents’ childcare burdens. The Dream Tree Comprehensive Town, opened in 2017, has established itself as a cradle of customized cultural welfare representing Seoul. Facilities such as libraries, Seodang (traditional schools), and native foreign language classes for all generations from infants to adults are loved by residents.
We will continue to expand childcare facilities, including public daycare centers, neighborhood care centers, and shared childcare spaces, to provide high-quality care services. Through the newly launched Children’s Meal Management Support Center this year, we will help children grow strong and healthy. We will continue to expand diverse childcare policies and infrastructure to become a child-friendly city where raising children is easy.
We will create an educational environment where ‘dragons are born in Yongsan’ and promote lifelong learning. We must not pass on a society where children’s academic achievement depends on their parents’ socioeconomic status. The Dream Tree Scholarship Fund, which has already reached 10 billion KRW, has given hope to over 2,200 children thirsty for learning.
We also provide exemplary public education models with after-school learning and high school alliance specialized programs, ensuring no one is left behind. Additionally, we will actively exchange with member cities of the UNESCO Global Learning Cities Network and strive for lifelong learning for residents.
In urban development, we will prioritize residents’ perspectives. My top priority in development is communication, meaning reflecting residents’ views to harmonize people and spaces. All development projects across Yongsan are progressing smoothly. The front of Yongsan Station and the area around Hangang-ro International Building have transformed into a forest of skyscrapers representing Seoul, and a favorable wind is blowing over the entire Hannam New Town, bringing the day when Hannam-dong will be completely transformed closer.
We will successfully complete the 10 billion KRW Haebangchon urban regeneration and the 20 billion KRW Electronics Market urban regeneration projects. By 2024, the 180 billion KRW ‘100th Anniversary Independence Movement Memorial Park’ project, which will elevate Hyochang Park as a symbol of Korea’s identity, will inject new vitality into Yongsan.
As everyone knows, Yongsan is at the center of Seoul, the capital of Korea. All railways crossing the country start and end at Yongsan. When the North-South railway is connected, Yongsan will be the gateway to Europe. The international business district is right at its center. For Yongsan to grow as a hub of peace and economy in Northeast Asia, it must become an international economic hub surpassing Manhattan in New York. As the local government, we will raise our voice more strongly.
We will work harder to create a safe city for residents. Following the 50 billion KRW expansion of flood prevention facilities in the Hangang-ro area, this year, the 15.3 billion KRW expansion of the Hannam rainwater pumping station, which has been underway for three years, was completed. Now, our district will protect residents from flood risks even during heavy rains caused by abnormal climate.
Also, from thorough quarantine to children’s school routes and women’s late-night return paths, we will build a more solid social safety net to make daily life safe.
Dear residents!
The threat of COVID-19, which has engulfed our daily lives, will not end soon. However, we look forward to hope again. Our nation has a history of overcoming Japanese colonial rule and regaining the light of liberation, the strength to build a top 10 global economy with bare hands from the ruins of the Korean War, and the experience of overcoming the IMF financial crisis in three years.
We will ultimately overcome this crisis, and our efforts will be recorded as a proud chapter in history. Spring comes even without waiting. Like spring that comes slowly but surely, the days of hope will come to us. Please hold on a little longer. The mayor and about 1,300 public officials will listen only to residents’ voices and run tirelessly to make Yongsan a happier place.
Thank you.
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