Seongdong-gu Rolls Up Sleeves to Resolve Traffic Inconvenience at Eungbong Intersection Traffic Island?

[Seoul District News] On the 11th, Jeong Wono, Seongdong-gu Mayor, visited Eungbong-dong site with police station to resolve traffic inconvenience, prioritizing optimal signal system maintenance and roundabout traffic for residents' safety; Dongjak-gu Youth Council Chair Shinbyeol from Sungui Middle School elected; Yeongdeungpo-gu Yeoui-dong professional groups promote 3km spring flower road on Yeoidong-ro; Dongdaemun-gu conducts special crackdown on illegal tuning; Gwangjin-gu operates 'Banban School' (Pets and Owners) program, a lecture no one else offers.

Intersection at Eungbong Sageori with a traffic island

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) conducted a joint traffic site inspection with the police station on the 11th to resolve traffic inconveniences in the Eungbong-dong area.

The traffic sites personally visited by Mayor Jung Won-oh were the Eungbong Intersection (344 Haengdang-dong) and the intersection around Eungbong Police Substation (275-8 Eungbong-dong), places that have long been the subject of many traffic complaints.

The Eungbong Intersection, where major arterial roads such as Gosan-ro and Dokseodang-ro meet, is a point with heavy vehicle traffic. In particular, pedestrians must cross the crosswalk twice via a traffic island (an island-shaped facility installed to ensure smooth traffic flow and pedestrian crossing safety), causing waiting times and leading to jaywalking, making it a high-risk area for accidents.

The district has repeatedly monitored the crosswalk signal system and requested technical reviews of related improvement plans from the signal operation agency. Mayor Jung, who visited the site, shared the current status with experts from Seongdong Police Station and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, personally crossing the intersection to check the traffic situation and overall nearby traffic flow.

Through the inspection, the district plans to devise a method to synchronize the signals connecting the crosswalks via the traffic island to change at once, appropriately allocate existing vehicle traffic signal times, and prepare an optimal signal system improvement plan that allows pedestrians to cross comfortably and safely in cooperation with related agencies.

The area around Eungbong Police Substation is an irregular six-way intersection structure. There is no signal system for left turns from Shindonga Apartments and Hyundai Apartments in Eungbong-dong toward Wangsimni, making it a high-risk area for accidents. To use the bus stop, pedestrians must cross three crosswalks over a short distance, causing inconvenience and frequent jaywalking, which greatly increases the risk of pedestrian accidents.

Since 2019, the district has been working to improve safety by reinforcing traffic safety facilities around the Eungbong Police Substation intersection and has currently requested the Seoul Metropolitan Government to implement traffic improvement projects to resolve traffic inconveniences at this point.

Mayor Jung, who visited the site, discussed various improvement plans with related agencies, including the installation of new crosswalks and methods of rotating traffic inside the intersection similar to U-turns without signal operation, and plans to prepare active solutions.

Seongdong-gu, having recently completed road expansion construction on Geumho-ro in the Jangteo-gil area of Geumho-dong and around Singeumho Station, fulfilling a 30-year resident wish, has realized what seemed impossible road expansion projects, providing traffic convenience and earning high trust from residents.

With the confirmation of GTX-C stopping at Wangsimni Station, the establishment of Majang Livestock Market, and Ttukseom Resin Public Parking Lot, the district is solidifying its position as a key transportation hub in the metropolitan area. It plans to promptly resolve issues in the Eungbong-dong area with optimal measures to achieve 'zero traffic accidents.'

Mayor Jung Won-oh of Seongdong-gu said, "We will continue to conduct on-site inspections of major intersections in Seongdong-gu where traffic system improvements are needed and seek improvement plans. We will prioritize residents' safety and work to quickly resolve traffic inconveniences to create an accident-free living environment."

Dongjak-gu (Mayor Lee Chang-woo) announced that it held the inauguration ceremony of the 8th Dongjak Innovation Education District Youth Council on the 8th, officially starting its activities.

The inauguration ceremony, held at 4 p.m. in the main conference hall of Dongjak-gu Council, was attended by 21 youth council members and 5 youth assistants.

Through public recruitment and online debate evaluations in March, 21 members were selected who are residents of Dongjak-gu aged 14 to under 20, currently enrolled in middle or high schools in the district, and interested in Dongjak-gu and youth policies.

This was the first face-to-face event in three years since COVID-19, starting with the national anthem, followed by congratulatory remarks from the Dongjak-gu Mayor, Dongjak-gu Council Chairperson, and Dongjak-Gwanak Education Support Office Superintendent, as well as the youth council members' oath and appointment certificate presentation.

During the orientation that followed, youth assistants supporting the youth council members' activities were introduced, and an ice-breaking session was held to communicate joyfully and build camaraderie.

Before the full-scale activities begin, the chairperson group and standing committees were formed. In the chairperson election, Shin Byeol from Sungui Girls' Middle School was elected chairperson, and Park Dasol from the same school was elected vice-chairperson. The standing committees were organized into ▲Life Standing Committee ▲Human Rights Standing Committee ▲Career Standing Committee based on the youth council members' discussion results.

Shin Byeol (Sungui Girls' Middle School, Grade 2), appointed as the youth council chairperson, expressed her ambition, saying, "I will strive to make Dongjak-gu a happier place for youth by engaging in legislative activities that communicate both inside and outside the youth council."

Lee Chang-woo, Mayor of Dongjak-gu, said, "I hope the youth themselves become the main agents of democracy and engage in meaningful activities proposing and deciding youth policies."

Jeon Gap-bong, Chairperson of Dongjak-gu Council, said, "I hope you approach legislative activities with pride that your interest and will lead to positive change and with passionate attitudes."

Going forward, the youth council is expected to greatly contribute to revitalizing youth autonomy activities through various legislative activities such as ▲standing committee operations ▲regular meetings ▲youth autonomous policy market ▲youth autonomous organization network workshops ▲performance sharing meetings until December.

Since 2015, 277 youths have participated in the youth council, discovering and proposing practical and creative policies unique to youth, such as improving the shape, color, and location of no-smoking area signs and promoting youth ID cards and expanding benefits.

Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) Yeoui-dong Community Service Center announced that it will carry out "springgging" activities, picking up trash while walking along the Dong-Yeouido spring flower road from April 11 to 15 during the spring flower road opening period, together with local professional organization members and residents.

Springgging is a newly coined term combining "spring," meaning the season, and "plogging," an activity of picking up trash while lightly walking or jogging. It refers to volunteer activities of picking up litter along the spring flower road.

The district explained that with the recent opening of the spring flower road on Yeouiseo-ro attracting many visitors, concerns about littering in various parts of the area arose, leading to this activity where residents pick up trash themselves and communicate.

Springgging is conducted in a relay style where professional organizations active in Yeoui-dong decide the order through nominations.

On the first day, April 11, 12 members of the Volunteer Federation gathered at Yeouinaru Station in the morning to share plans and start springgging activities.

In the afternoon, 10 members of the Residents' Autonomy Committee participated to help create a clean spring flower road.

Members picked up trash left on the roadside while passing through main roads and apartment alleyways and conducted a campaign to prohibit illegal dumping and emphasize personal hygiene to local residents and passersby.

The springgging activities will continue until the 15th, covering about a 3 km section of the Dong-Yeouido spring flower road, starting from Yeouinaru Station, passing Yeouido middle and high schools, Yeouido Catholic Church, 63 Square, Catholic University Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, Saetgang Station, and connecting to Yoonjung Elementary and Middle Schools.

One participating member said, "With the cherry blossom road opening, many people flock to Yeouido, raising concerns about trash and quarantine, but cleaning on-site directly has eased my worries and made me feel refreshed with the spring breeze."

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, "I sincerely thank the residents who helped create a clean spring flower road. We will continue to create opportunities for residents to communicate and interact frequently, fostering unity and activities together. Encouraged by residents' enthusiasm and passion, we will do our best in environmental maintenance and quarantine activities on the Yeouido spring flower road."

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) announced that it will conduct a special crackdown on illegally tuned motorcycles to prevent safety accidents and resolve residents' inconveniences.

This special crackdown is a response to the increase in motorcycles due to the delivery boom caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, leading to more traffic violations and frequent complaints about noise and other traffic inconveniences.

The crackdown will be conducted jointly with Dongdaemun Police Station focusing on major motorcycle routes and residential areas until October.

The main targets are motorcycles with ▲illegal tuning (unauthorized modification of mufflers) and ▲violations of safety standards (illegal lighting devices attached). Illegal tuning can result in imprisonment of up to one year or fines up to 10 million KRW, and violations related to safety standards may incur fines up to 1 million KRW.

Yoo Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, "I hope this joint crackdown raises awareness about the dangers of illegally operated motorcycles threatening traffic safety. We will continue to enforce regulations against illegal tuning and other violations of vehicle safety standards to ensure safe driving and do our best to secure traffic safety."

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Sun-gap) has opened the Banban School for pets and their owners and is recruiting participants for the first half of the year until April 25.

Banban School, jointly organized by Gwangjin-gu, Konkuk University (Biohealing Convergence Department), and 3R Animal Welfare Research Institute, and supported by Konkuk University Campus Town Project Group, is an educational program for pet owners who have dogs or prospective owners planning to adopt dogs.

This year, the school will open twice, in the first and second halves of the year, and is recruiting 50 participants for the first half on a first-come, first-served basis until April 25. Lectures will be held from May 7 to June 4 every Saturday from 10 a.m. for two hours, totaling five sessions with 10 lectures conducted live online via ZOOM.

The program includes 10 lectures covering topics such as considerations before raising a dog, finding the right breed for oneself, management methods according to the dog's life cycle, and dog training methods.

The instructors consist of experts from various fields, including veterinarians, animal welfare specialists, dog behavior experts, pet aromatherapists, and animal-assisted psychological counselors. Applicants will receive a care textbook and a pet village map, and those who pass the exam after completing the education will be awarded a guardian completion certificate.

Especially, among the graduates, six people?three prospective owners and three current owners?will be selected based on high scores to receive 1:1 special mentoring from professional instructors.

For more details, refer to the district office website (News) or contact the education operation manager.

Additionally, the district is promoting various projects to create a pet-friendly environment, including ▲Gwangjin Pet Street creation ▲visiting neighborhood animal trainers operation ▲production of pet village maps.

Kim Sun-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, "We are opening Banban School this year to make Gwangjin-gu a place where pet owners, non-pet owners, and pets can all be happy. We will continue to strive to foster a mature pet-raising culture through various pet-related educational projects."