Seongbuk-gu Seokgwan-dong Residents Lead Efforts to Protect Korea National University of Arts, While Songpa-gu Forms Joint Front with Gangdong-gu and Hanam-si for K-Arts Campus Attraction
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Regarding the relocation of the Korea National University of Arts (KNUA) located in Seokgwan-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seongbuk-gu is absolutely opposed from the perspective of balanced regional development, while Songpa-gu is drawing attention by launching an all-out campaign to attract the relocation.
Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro), centered on residents of Seokgwan-dong, has formed the 'KNUA Preservation Promotion Committee' and is strongly opposing the relocation of KNUA.
On the other hand, Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) recently decided to cooperate jointly with Gangdong-gu and Hanam-si to attract KNUA.
◇ Residents of Seokgwan-dong, Seongbuk-gu Take Action to Protect KNUA
The 'Seongbuk-KNUA Preservation Promotion Committee,' organized by residents of Seokgwan-dong, Seongbuk-gu, launched an SNS relay campaign opposing the relocation of KNUA, with active support and participation from Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu.
The Seongbuk-KNUA Preservation Promotion Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Residents' Promotion Committee) is a group composed of local business owners, residents' autonomy associations, and community leaders in Seokgwan-dong who oppose the relocation plan of the Korea National University of Arts (hereinafter KNUA), which is under review by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism following the Cultural Heritage Administration's restoration plan for Uireung Royal Tomb.
The Residents' Promotion Committee, concerned about the economic ripple effects and regional hollowing out if KNUA, located in Seokgwan-dong, relocates, started a strong SNS relay campaign opposing the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's plan on the 4th.
The first campaigners, co-chairs Kim Deok-hyun and Lee Yong-in of the Promotion Committee, are leading the campaign by calling for participation from Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, and Kim Il-young, Chairperson of Seongbuk-gu Council.
Seokgwan-dong in Seongbuk-gu houses about 2,000 businesses (approximately 8.8% of Seongbuk-gu's enterprises), of which 82% are small-scale businesses with fewer than four employees.
Seokgwan area, which lacks industrial and economic development momentum and has no commercial zones among land use areas, has limitations in developing local commercial districts. KNUA, used by about 3,000 students and faculty, is almost the only facility generating foot traffic in the area.
The Residents' Promotion Committee, worried about regional hollowing out, decline, and collapse of local commerce due to KNUA's relocation, stated, "Forcing the relocation would be a short-sighted failure of educational policy, and the pain and economic losses the local residents will suffer due to slumification after relocation are difficult to estimate." They demand a full reconsideration of the relocation plan toward a 'Uireung-KNUA-Community' win-win framework.
Meanwhile, as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's research project on the relocation site of KNUA is entering its final stage at the end of February, some local governments in candidate areas are competing to attract KNUA.
In this regard, Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, said, "KNUA has grown together with the local community and is the only large-scale educational and cultural hub facility that boosts the economic vitality of Jangwi and Seokgwan areas. The economic and cultural damage to Seongbuk-gu due to the school's relocation will be enormous." In October last year, he personally submitted an 'Opinion Letter for Seongbuk-gu's Cultural Development and Regional Coexistence' to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, demanding transparent, comprehensive, and systematic policy decisions based on thorough review of the local impact and communication with the community regarding the relocation research project."
Park Sung-soo, Mayor of Songpa-gu (left), formally proposed the relocation of Korea National University of Arts to Songpa-gu during a cordial meeting with Hwang Hee, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, who visited Songpa-gu on the 23rd of last month to attend the opening ceremony of the Sports Industry Comprehensive Support Center.
◇ Songpa-gu, Gangdong-gu, and Hanam-si Build Joint Front to Attract KNUA
On the 4th, three local governments?Songpa-gu, Gangdong-gu, and Hanam-si?signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at Songpa-gu Office on six items including attracting KNUA, agreeing to join forces for sustainable urban development.
Based on this, they expect to activate sharing of human and material resources and enable close cooperation on various projects that significantly impact residents.
The signing ceremony was attended by about ten people, including Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu; Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu; Kim Sang-ho, Mayor of Hanam-si; and Kang Tae-soon, co-chairman of the KNUA Pan-Citizen Attraction Promotion Committee.
The main contents of the agreement include ▲wide-area joint cooperation to attract KNUA to Songpa-gu, ▲various cultural and artistic projects, ▲education, ▲roads and metropolitan transportation, ▲environment, and ▲joint response to infectious diseases, totaling six projects.
Specific cooperation plans will be pursued through a working-level consultative body after the MOU.
Especially, since all three local governments are undergoing large-scale development projects and rapid urban development, this MOU aims to share administrative best practices, strengthen cooperation on metropolitan projects, and showcase upgraded urban development and improved resident convenience and welfare.
Meanwhile, Songpa-gu is making multifaceted efforts to attract KNUA to the area around 445-11 Bangi-dong.
In this regard, Songpa-gu has signed MOUs with cultural institutions such as the Korea Federation of Arts Organizations (KFAO), the largest arts organization in Korea, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, and the Lotte Cultural Foundation, striving to establish a foundation for the development of culture, sports, and arts.
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