Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, Officially Announces Bid for Third Term

Seongdong-gu's Mid- to Long-Term Master Plan for the Future: Announcement of the '4 Major Leap Projects for a Sustainable City Seongdong'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, officially declared his candidacy and is running for a third term.

On the 6th, Mayor Jung released a declaration of candidacy, stating, “I have been running tirelessly to repay the kindness of Seongdong residents who supported me with the highest vote share among Seoul’s autonomous districts during my re-election,” and added, “I will create a better Seongdong and a better future together with the residents. I hope you will give me another chance to work with you in Seongdong.”

During the 2018 local elections when he was re-elected with a 69.46% vote share?the highest among Seoul’s 25 autonomous districts?Mayor Jung successfully resolved major long-standing local issues such as the demolition of the Sampyo Ready-Mixed Concrete Plant in Seongsu-dong, the expansion of Jangteo-gil in front of Geumho Station, and the confirmed establishment of the GTX-C Wangsimni Station.

Additionally, he signed Seoul’s first business agreement with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to improve educational conditions, making tangible progress on establishing a middle school in Wangsimni New Town, a key local challenge. During the over two-year COVID-19 pandemic, he demonstrated proactive administrative capabilities by providing masks to all residents nationwide for the first time, attracting and operating Seoul’s first vaccination center, earning strong trust from Seongdong residents.

In the ‘2020 Seoul Survey Urban Policy Indicator’ released by the Seoul Institute under the Seoul Metropolitan Government in 2021, Seongdong-gu ranked first among Seoul’s autonomous districts in resident trust.

Since Mayor Jung’s first election and inauguration in 2014, Seongdong-gu has continuously developed and has been recognized as one of the most developed cities in Seoul, earning the nickname ‘Mayongseong.’ Regarding this, Mayor Jung said, “To repay the kindness I have received, I will devote my efforts to making tomorrow’s Seongdong better than today,” and added, “I will soar beyond Seoul’s top 5 autonomous districts to become Seoul’s number one.”

Mayor Jung’s core pledge, emphasizing the need for new growth engines in Seongdong, is the ‘Four Leap Projects for a Sustainable City Seongdong.’ These include ▲creating a global business hub around Wangsimni Station, including the district office and police station sites, for Seongdong’s economic leap ▲developing an opera house and cultural tourism town on the Sampyo Ready-Mixed Concrete site for cultural advancement ▲establishing a new administrative town near Sowol Art Hall Plaza for administrative progress ▲building a future education town linking Deoksu High School site, Hanyang University, and the 4th Industrial Revolution Center for educational advancement.

Furthermore, he announced plans to develop the Majang Station area and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) site to make Majang-dong a central area connecting Wangsimni and Cheongnyangni, and to develop Geumnam Market and Shingumho Station area to transform the Geumho-Oksoo region into a premium residential area with concentrated educational, medical, and commercial functions.

Mayor Jung has worked throughout his eight-year tenure to ensure consistency and continuity in the highest-level legal plans of Seoul and Seongdong-gu, the Urban Basic Plan. This was concretized in the “2040 Seongdong Urban Development Basic Plan Implementation Plan” announced on May 2.

He stated, “The Four Leap Projects for a Sustainable City Seongdong and the development plans for Majang and Geumho-Oksoo areas are mid- to long-term master plans that will open Seongdong’s future,” and added, “I will strive to build a perfect foundation for these projects to be implemented.”

Alongside this, Mayor Jung presented pledges across seven major sectors?economy, education, administration, welfare, environment, culture, and transportation?including ▲creating a business-friendly city and generating 35,000 jobs ▲continuing the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education agreements such as establishing Wangsimni New Town middle school and a middle school in Geumho-dong ▲expanding life-oriented administrative services and strengthening kind and communicative governance to enhance resident satisfaction ▲expanding the Hyo Sarang health primary care project and supporting specialized public dental care for seniors ▲strengthening and maintaining riverside green spaces such as Seoul Forest and Jungnangcheon, among others. Detailed plans for specific groups such as seniors, people with disabilities, youth, women, and pet owners will be disclosed sequentially.

Finally, Mayor Jung emphasized, “Just as the audience calls for an encore after a wonderful concert, I ask the residents to call for an encore for Jung Won-oh,” and pledged, “I will repay the overwhelming kindness you have shown over the past eight years with a ‘Better Seongdong.’”

Earlier in April, Mayor Jung was nominated as the sole candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea for Seongdong-gu mayor in the June 1 local elections. However, after personally managing COVID-19 and remaining local issues, he officially entered the race by announcing his candidacy less than a month before the election on the 6th.

1. Seongdong’s economy will grow stronger.

- A business-friendly Seongdong, creating 35,000 more jobs

- Promotion of three innovation growth special zones (Seongsu Design Convergence Industry Zone, Global ESG Startup Valley, Seongsu IT Industry Distribution Development Promotion District)

- Redevelopment, reconstruction, and remodeling projects carried out together according to residents’ wishes

- Strong support for Seongsu Strategic Maintenance District, the best city on the Han River Belt

2. Seongdong’s education and childcare will leap forward more innovatively.

- Establishment of Wangsimni New Town middle school and a middle school in Geumho-dong

- Integration of Seongsu and Gyeongil middle and high schools to create appropriately sized educational conditions

- Improvement of gender imbalance in high schools

- Support for English classrooms in daycare centers and kindergartens

- Expansion of playgrounds in Children’s Dream Park

3. Seongdong’s culture and sports will be more diverse and abundant.

- Promotion of designation as a smart cultural city

- Diverse culture, arts, and festivals throughout Seongdong

- Expansion of various libraries within a 5-minute walk

- Complete renovation of Salgoti Sports Park facilities and reopening of Seongdong water playground

4. Seongdong’s welfare will be warmer and more inclusive.

- Expansion of the Hyo Sarang primary care project for those aged 65 and older, recognized by the UN

- Support for senior-specialized (quasi-public) public dental care

- Attraction of women and children specialized hospitals

- Support for treatment costs of four major severe diseases for children and adolescents

- Insurance enrollment for electric mobility aids for people with disabilities

- Establishment of a health care support center specialized for single-person households

5. Seongdong’s transportation will be more convenient and safer.

- Priority resolution of habitual congestion sections

- Swift promotion of the second phase of road expansion work on Jangteo-gil in front of Geumho Station

- Installation of safe right-turn traffic safety facilities at all intersections

- Installation of road heating cables on steep uphill roads

- Continued active relocation of utility poles causing inconvenience in the middle of alleys (awarded by the Board of Audit and Inspection)

- Continued undergrounding of power lines for a more open sky in Seongdong

- Improvement of pedestrian environment to realize a walkable Seongdong

- Creation and expansion of new parking lots

- Expansion of proactive measures to prevent traffic accidents

- Establishment of direct circular buses and adjustment of city bus routes to reach Gangnam within 30 minutes

6. Seongdong’s environment will be cleaner and more pleasant.

- Increased investment in the beloved Seoul Forest Park

- Creation of Seoul’s largest 14.2 km waterfront space

- Modernization of Jungnang Water Reclamation Center and creation of resident-friendly environmental spaces

- Expansion of parks and walking trails that are good for walking and cycling

7. Seongdong’s administration will be kinder and smarter.

- Mayor Jung Won-oh listens to residents’ opinions 24/7, 365 days a year

- Continued promotion of ‘Life-Oriented Day’ for resident communication

- Continuous expansion of Seongdong-style smart shelters and smart crosswalks

- Creation of safe boarding and alighting zones for school vehicles, prioritizing children as the owners of alleys

- Establishment of a constant crackdown system on motorcycles (two-wheelers) and promotion of electric two-wheelers to reduce noise

- Crime prevention through special fluorescent material coating projects in alleys

- Expansion of Saturday civil service office at Seongdong-gu Office, the most reliable neighbor

- Expansion of ‘Spring Water Warehouse’ providing free bottled water to protect health during summer heat

- Full disclosure of delivery-only restaurant kitchens on the district office website

- Expansion of resident participation to make Seongdong a community where residents are the owners

- Seongdong, a village where communities bloom