[Interview] Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu, "Songpa Dullegil Elevates Residents' Lives and Urban Dignity to a New Level"

Songpa Dullegil: A Waterfront Trail Connecting Four Waterways (Seongnaecheon, Jangjicheon, Tancheon, Hangang) Along Songpa-gu's Outskirts... Naturally Linking Major Attractions Like Jamsil Sports Complex, Seokchon Lake, Lotte World Tower, and Olympic Park

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “With the launch of the 7th elected Songpa District administration, the Songpa Dullegil trail has emerged as a key project, focusing on ecological conservation, revitalizing the local economy, and creating a healing space that has garnered high satisfaction among residents. The opening of the Tancheon section, which had been blocked for 50 years, in June will elevate the city's prestige.”

Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa District, said in an interview with this publication, “We will fully open the Songpa Dullegil trail within the first half of this year to further improve the quality of life for our residents.”

The Songpa Dullegil trail is a waterside walking path that connects four waterways flowing along the outskirts of Songpa District (Seongnaecheon, Jangjicheon, Tancheon, and the Han River). It is the largest priority project of the 7th elected Songpa District administration, promoted since 2018 under the catchphrase “All roads in Songpa lead to Songpa Dullegil.”

The district has continuously maintained the aging pedestrian and bicycle paths around waterways such as Seongnaecheon and enhanced various resident convenience facilities including benches and exercise equipment.

They have also focused on creating unique spaces specialized by course and planted flowers and trees along the trail through residents’ donations. The goal is to plant 2 million trees throughout Songpa District centered on the Songpa Dullegil trail by 2022.

What differentiates Songpa Dullegil from other trails in Seoul is that it is a rare “waterway” trail in the city. Except for part of Jangjicheon, about 90% of the trail is a waterside walking path. Therefore, it is a natural ecological treasure trove where visitors can encounter various ecological resources such as the natural monument species Eurasian kestrel, white-naped crane, and otters along rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Recently, the appearance of the endangered natural monument otter in the Seongnaecheon section confirmed its ecological value. In the Jangjicheon section, artificial birdhouses have been installed, and it is expected to be reborn as a healing space harmonizing more bird species and trees.

Mayor Park said, “Culture and leisure enrich daily life,” adding, “Songpa District’s circular walking tourism course, accessible anytime and anywhere, offers visitors health and healing time.”

Local residents have also responded positively. This was confirmed through the annual “Resident Opinion Survey” conducted by the district. In the 2020 survey, “culture and leisure life” ranked first (55.4%) among the most satisfying aspects of living environment in Songpa District. This is more than 10 percentage points higher than the 2019 survey, where the same answer ranked second (43.9%).

Mayor Park emphasized, “A walkable environment is closely related to revitalizing the local economy.” He expressed confidence that Songpa Dullegil will turn the entire district into a “walking zone,” bringing vitality even to neighborhood commercial areas.

Songpa Dullegil naturally connects to representative landmarks such as Jamsil Sports Complex, Seokchon Lake, Lotte World Tower, and Olympic Park. It also tightly links cultural heritage sites of Hanseong Baekje such as Pungnap-dong Fortress and Mongchontoseong, as well as Namhansanseong Fortress, Wirye Human Ring, and traditional markets. Ogeum Park will be redeveloped as a barrier-free path so that residents who have difficulty traveling far can use it comfortably.

There were difficulties in fully establishing Songpa Dullegil. The Tancheon section had been blocked for 50 years, designated as an ecological landscape conservation area by Seoul City. The district submitted to the Green Seoul Citizens Committee the opinion that 83% of nearby residents support the creation of the Tancheon walking path, and the development plan was approved at the end of October last year.

Accordingly, construction of the Tancheon section of Songpa Dullegil, which began in November last year, is being carried out in a way that maximally protects and utilizes the existing natural environment, with completion scheduled for the end of June. While creating the walking path, a buffer forest zone is being established between the riverbanks to prevent damage to the habitat of protected species such as the white-naped crane, and additional native plants are being planted based on research and expert consultation.

Mayor Park Seong-su stated, “Connecting the Tancheon section, which is a migratory bird sanctuary in the city, goes beyond simply completing a circular walking tourism course. It is highly meaningful in raising the quality of life for residents and the city’s prestige as a walking tourism destination and a healing space in daily life.”