[Photo] Seoul Gangseo-gu, Christmas Tree Lighting... "May the Light of Hope Shine"

[Seoul Autonomous District Photo News] Christmas Tree Brightly Lit at Plaza in Front of Gangseo-gu Office, Seoul... Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum Visits Mapo-gu Health Center on the Morning of the 9th... Mapo-gu Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun Holds Opening Ceremony of the 1st Fashion Street Art Festival on the 9th... Yeongdeungpo-gu Mayor Chae Hyun-il Inspects Demolition Site of Seonyu High School... Gwangjin-gu Mayor Kim Seon-gap Inspects Improvement Construction Site of Entrance Stairs at Yonggok Elementary and Middle Schools... Jamsil 2-dong, Songpa-gu ‘Elsentz’ Shares Love through Kimchi Making Event

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] On the 9th, the Christmas tree installed at the plaza in front of Gangseo-gu Office in Seoul is brightly lit.

At 5 p.m. on the same day, the district held a tree lighting ceremony to deliver messages of love and hope to the residents in celebration of the upcoming Christmas and year-end holidays.

The tree will remain lit until January next year.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum (left) visited the Mapo-gu Public Health Center in Seoul on the morning of the 9th.

During his visit, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum toured the COVID-19 work site at the health center with Mapo-gu Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun and held an on-site meeting with health center directors from the metropolitan area.

Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) held the opening ceremony of the ‘1st Fashion Street Arts and Culture Festival’ at Hongdae Sangsangmadang (65 Eoulmadang-ro) at 2 p.m. on the 9th.

The opening ceremony was attended by Mapo-gu Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun, Hongik University Professor Jo Won-il, the Seoul Performing Arts Association, Hongdae small business owners, and local artists to celebrate the festival’s opening.

Hosted by the Hongdae Small Business Prosperity Association and organized by the Seogyo-dong Community Center, the event runs from December 9 to 12, where visitors can enjoy art exhibitions and talk shows at the 4th and 5th floor galleries of Hongdae Sangsangmadang.

Yeongdeungpo-gu Mayor Chae Hyun-il inspected the demolition site of Seonyu Overpass on the afternoon of the 9th.

The Seonyu Overpass demolition began on the 9th and will be carried out sequentially until December 2022. After demolition, the site will be developed into a people-centered urban space linked with the National Assembly-daero upper park project. Mayor Chae received a project progress report and traffic management plan explanation on-site and carefully inspected the area with Seoul city officials and construction personnel.

Mayor Chae Hyun-il said, “Once the long-awaited Seonyu Overpass is demolished, we will be able to enjoy an open sky freely,” adding, “We will strive to prevent safety accidents and minimize inconvenience to residents during the construction.”

Gwangjin-gu Mayor Kim Seon-gap conducted an inspection on the 9th to check the improvement status of the entrance stairs on the school route to Yonggok Elementary and Middle Schools.

The school route to Yonggok Elementary and Middle Schools had steep stairs, raising safety concerns for students, staff, and local residents, leading to continuous complaints.

Accordingly, Gwangjin-gu determined that improving the school route for student safety was necessary and, after several consultations with the Seongdong-Gwangjin Office of Education, installed additional stairs on land under the education office’s jurisdiction.

Mayor Kim Seon-gap visited the site to examine the newly installed stairs and listen to residents’ opinions.

Mayor Kim said, “We will actively reflect the diverse opinions of residents and thoroughly review and discuss with relevant departments any additional improvements or supplements needed.”

The newly installed stairs were constructed according to the regulations on the determination, structure, and installation standards of urban and military planning facilities, with a step height of 15 cm, step width of 30 cm, and landing width of 1.2 m.

The stair slope is 26.57° (50%), improving by 35% compared to the previous slope of 33° (85%).

Kim Ki-ha and Park Min-woo (11), students attending Yonggok Elementary School, said, “The previous stairs were steep and dangerous, but the new stairs have a gentler slope and anti-slip pads at the edges, making them feel safe.”

Gwangjin-gu Mayor Kim Seon-gap said, “The school route to Yonggok Elementary and Middle Schools had steep stairs causing inconvenience to users. Above all, safety is paramount, so we will continue to consider ways to create a safe commuting environment for children.”

Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) Jamsil 2-dong held the ‘Elsentz Love Kimchi Sharing’ event on the 25th of last month, co-hosted with four resident organizations including the Residents’ Autonomy Committee.

Mayor Park Seong-su encouraged the participating groups, saying, “The power of residents is what makes Songpa a better place to live and completes it as a premium residential area.”

‘Elsentz’ is a portmanteau of ‘Jamsil Els’ (5,678 households) and ‘Licentz’ (5,563 households) apartments. Jamsil 2-dong consists solely of these two large apartment complexes, and despite the urban residential environment characterized by neighborly disconnection, the ‘Elsentz’ resident groups share warm neighborly affection by holding annual kimchi sharing events.

On the day, members of the resident groups prepared 140 kg of kimchi and delivered it to three senior centers in the area.

An elderly recipient said, “Due to COVID-19, interest in senior centers has greatly decreased, but the Elsentz resident groups never forget to bring sincere kimchi every year, and I am thankful.”

Mayor Park Seong-su said, “Jamsil 2-dong is a beautiful area through which the Songpa Dullegil Han River trail passes,” adding, “Together with the residents who make Jamsil 2-dong more beautiful, we will continue to create a better Songpa to live in.”