[Interview] Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, "Creating a Self-sufficient City That Grows Beyond a Healing City"

Bio Medical Complex Focuses on Developing Gwangwoon University Station Area... Seoul's First Natural Recreation Forest to Be Built in Suraksan

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] “With the confirmed relocation of the Dobong Driver’s License Test Center to Uijeongbu, the creation of a bio-medical complex has gained momentum.”

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon District, shared this outlook on Nowon’s future in an interview with this publication.

While balancing work and rest is important, growth as a self-sufficient city with quality jobs is equally crucial. Mayor Oh said, “I feel that people from other regions view Nowon very differently these days.” This means that the district, once known as a typical Seoul bedroom community with many welfare recipients and densely packed old apartments without underground parking, is transforming into a ‘growing city’ with continuous new development opportunities.

Currently, Nowon is a hot topic area. Major development projects such as the creation of a bio-medical complex through the relocation of Changdong Vehicle Depot and Dobong Driver’s License Test Center, the development of the Kwangwoon University Station area, and the Baeksa Village in Junggye-dong are about to begin in earnest. These large-scale projects have the potential to fundamentally change the character of Nowon District. Although the projects, involving many stakeholders, faced difficulties, visible achievements are being made one by one as the 7th elected term nears its end, gradually resolving issues.

First, regarding the plan to create a bio-industrial complex at Changdong Vehicle Depot, a tripartite agreement was finalized in December last year between Seoul City, Nowon District, and Uijeongbu City to relocate the Dobong Driver’s License Test Center to Uijeongbu. This gave new momentum to the plan to relocate Changdong Vehicle Depot and Dobong Driver’s License Test Center and develop a bio-industrial complex on the vacated sites. Unlike the vehicle depot, which was confirmed to relocate to Namyangju, the test center had difficulty finding a suitable relocation site, delaying project progress.

Since 2013, the district formed a task force with related agencies and actively searched for relocation sites for the Dobong Driver’s License Test Center. The breakthrough came when Jangam-dong in Uijeongbu City, designated as a greenbelt area, emerged as the planned relocation site.

Since the start of the 7th elected term, Mayor Oh held more than ten meetings with Ahn Byung-yong, Mayor of Uijeongbu, to coordinate detailed differences. Additionally, consultations, mediation, and persuasion were conducted with Seoul City, Gyeonggi Province, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and LH Corporation. Mayor Oh expressed special gratitude to Mayor Ahn, saying, “It was a difficult decision from Uijeongbu’s perspective, but it was made possible by the mayor’s great determination.”

The approximately 75,000-pyeong (about 247,933 square meters) site vacated by the relocation of Dobong Driver’s License Test Center and Changdong Vehicle Depot will be developed into a bio-industrial complex centered around Seoul National University Hospital, attracting world-class pharmaceutical companies and medical research institutions, along with hotels and commercial complexes. This is expected to create about 80,000 jobs. Mayor Oh anticipates, “This will be a turning point for Nowon District to transform into a self-sufficient city with quality jobs and its own growth engine.”

Alongside the bio-industrial complex, significant progress has been made in the Kwangwoon University Station area development project. In December last year, demolition work began on a 40-meter-high cement silo located on the logistics site near Kwangwoon University Station. For over 40 years, local residents had endured dust and noise from the silo, and its relocation was a long-standing wish of the community.

Initially, demolition was planned for December 31, 2020, when logistics operations ceased, but the dockworkers’ union, which held logistics handling rights, demanded alternative jobs and compensation, causing conflicts with the developer, Hyundai Development Company, and delaying demolition. The district actively mediated to create conditions for agreement between both parties, resolving the dispute amicably and putting the development project back on track.

The Kwangwoon University Station area development project involves constructing a mixed-use complex with commercial facilities, luxury residential buildings, and public facilities on a 140,816-square-meter logistics site around the station. Construction is scheduled to begin in the second half of this year and complete by 2025.

A landmark building up to 49 stories tall will be built on the commercial and business land, along with hotels, office spaces, and commercial facilities, creating a new economic hub with job creation and a large commercial district. The mixed-use land will feature a residential complex with approximately 2,700 households. The apartment complex, consisting of 11 buildings ranging from 35 to 49 stories, will secure ample natural resting spaces and open plazas. It is planned as a luxury residential complex offering culture, shopping, leisure, and relaxation. Public land will be developed using about 267 billion KRW in public contributions generated from the development project. It will include various public facilities needed by local residents, such as multipurpose sports facilities, libraries, community centers, and youth startup support centers.

Along with the development projects, nearby living infrastructure will be dramatically improved. The traffic system will be reorganized to accommodate traffic volume after project completion by constructing new roads and pedestrian overpasses. The walking trail near Gyeongchun Railway Bridge will be developed into a forest park connecting Wolgye E-Mart and Nowon Bulbit Garden. With the opening of the GTX-C line alongside the Kwangwoon University Station area development, travel time from Kwangwoon University Station to Samsung Station will be reduced from 46 minutes to 9 minutes, raising expectations that this area will emerge as a new center in northeastern Seoul.

Additionally, Baeksa Village in Junggye-dong will transform from a hillside shantytown into a luxury residential complex where Seoul’s past and present coexist. Designated as a redevelopment maintenance zone in 2009, the project was delayed for a long time without a finalized plan but received approval for the project implementation plan last year. Although the project was stalled for a long time due to changes in the project implementer, construction methods, and conflicts among residents, the district, together with Seoul City, dispatched conflict resolution experts to the site to gather residents’ demands and establish a redevelopment plan suitable for local characteristics through a total of 33 meetings and reviews.

Baeksa Village is characterized by nine architects designing various apartment buildings and general houses with different designs and heights, preserving natural scenery and partially maintaining the existing terrain to allow coexistence of past and present. The general housing area will maintain alleyway forms and include an exhibition hall preserving local history. Apartments will range from 5 to 20 stories with diverse exclusive areas from 59 to 190 square meters. The Baeksa Village redevelopment project is scheduled to start construction this year and complete in the first half of 2025.

Mayor Oh plans to focus not only on future city projects that inspire hope but also on making Nowon a place where ‘work and rest coexist.’ Healing city projects that enable residents to live happily today have taken root and gained recognition. Projects such as the creation of Bulamsan Healing Town, Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail Park, and Bulbit Garden have dominated the ‘Top 10 News of Nowon District Selected by Residents,’ proving this.

This year, the focus will be on completing Suraksan Healing Town. A circular walking trail accessible to the elderly and wheelchair users will be created, and Seoul’s first natural recreation forest will be established. Upon completion, a vast 640,000-square-meter natural forest bathing area will be available in Seoul.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Although much of the 7th elected term remains, promises to residents have no term limits,” adding, “I will do my best to ensure that the promise to build a growth foundation responsible for Nowon’s 100-year future is fulfilled more quickly and thoroughly.”