Completion of Yongsan-gu Veterans Hall... Installation of Elevator on Steep Slope in Oksu-dong, Seongdong-gu

[Seoul District News] Yongsan-gu to Hold Completion Ceremony at 3 PM on the 26th; B1, 4 Floors Above Ground, Total Area 1068㎡
· 5-Minute Access from Itaewon Station on Subway Line 6 ... Seongdong-gu Opens 18m High 21-Passenger Elevator and 12.5m Pedestrian Bridge at Steep Slope in Oksu-dong 565-1... Dobong-gu Opens Smart Library at Dokkaebi Market in Banghak-dong... Gwangjin-gu Recruits 20 Couples in Residential Area for Couples' Day (May 21), Offers Special Lectures and Couple Activities
-

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seongjanghyun) will complete the construction of the Veterans Hall on the 26th to commemorate the sacrifices of veteran families who dedicated themselves to the nation.

The newly built Veterans Hall (14-9 Bogwang-ro 60-gil) is located within a 5-minute walk from Itaewon Station on Subway Line 6 and nearby bus stops, offering excellent accessibility. It is equipped with an elevator and five off-street parking spaces, making it convenient for residents with mobility difficulties.

The hall spans four floors above ground and one basement level, with a total floor area of 1,068㎡. The space is divided into ▲ convenience facilities ▲ common areas ▲ and organization offices.

The convenience facilities include a fitness room, shower room, and changing room (basement level 1), a lounge (1st floor), and a rooftop garden. Common areas feature a meeting room (1st floor) and a multipurpose auditorium (4th floor).

From the 2nd to the 4th floor, offices of veteran organizations such as the Korean War Veterans Association, Disabled Veterans Association, Bereaved Families of Fallen Soldiers Association, Widows of Fallen Soldiers Association, Meritorious Service Association, Vietnam War Veterans Association, Agent Orange Veterans Association, Liberation Association, and Special Mission Meritorious Service Association are housed, each occupying about 33 square meters (approximately 10 pyeong).

As of May 2022, there are nine veteran organizations in the area, with about 2,600 veteran family members.

A district official stated, “Most national veterans are elderly and have mobility difficulties, making it hard to use the offices on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Yongsan Dream Tree Complex Annex 1 and Annex 2, which lack elevators.”

Since 2020, the district has been reviewing sites for a standalone Veterans Hall and benchmarking other local governments. In March 2021, the final site was selected, and after land acquisition, design services, and detailed safety inspections, construction began in December of the same year. The total construction cost was 2.5 billion KRW.

On the 26th at 3 p.m., a completion ceremony will be held to commemorate the Veterans Hall construction, attended by the district mayor, Seoul Regional Veterans Office chief, city and district council members, veteran organization presidents, members, and about 200 residents.

Yongsan-gu Mayor Seongjanghyun said, “I am pleased to complete this project ahead of June, the Month of National Defense and Veterans. Sacrifices for the country are an honorable responsibility shared by the community, and the district Veterans Hall will symbolize the honor of these individuals.”

Elevator Installed on the Steep Slope in Oksu-dong

Seongdong-gu installed an elevator on the steep slope in Oksu-dong and began operation on the 20th.

The location is at 565-1 Oksu-dong, where the district installed an 18-meter-high elevator, enabling residents to ascend and descend the equivalent height of a six-story building in one go.

This area had been inconvenient for residents to traverse on foot. Although there were ramps and stairs, the steep slope posed safety risks, especially in winter when snow accumulation made the ramp slippery, endangering wheelchair and stroller users.

Accordingly, following selection in the 2020 city resident proposal project, the district established plans last November to install a vertical elevator. The construction took about six months, including demolition of retaining walls, resulting in a safe and comfortable walking environment with this mobility facility.

The elevator accommodates 21 passengers and is designed to operate smoothly even during peak commuting hours. A 12.5-meter pedestrian bridge was also installed for elevator users. The bridge’s exterior is made of glass, and nighttime lighting on the railings creates a sophisticated urban landscape beyond a simple mobility facility.

Residents attending the elevator opening ceremony expressed joyful cheers as the previously difficult area, which required climbing dozens of stairs or struggling along ramps on a high hill, became easily accessible by elevator. The Oksu-dong area, connected to Maebongsan and neighborhood parks and offering panoramic views of Seoul, now enjoys both scenic beauty and improved mobility benefits, according to a district official.

Following the creation of a 47-space parking lot at Oksu Reservoir in November 2021 and major renovations of the Oksu Station village bus stop earlier this year, Oksu-dong is becoming a more convenient transportation hub and a “walkable neighborhood.” The district plans to continue efforts to create a safe and convenient walking environment.

Dobong-gu (Mayor Dongjin Lee) opened a 24-hour unmanned book lending ‘Smart Library’ on the 1st floor of the public parking lot at Dokkaebi Market in Banghak-dong (632-1 Banghak 2-dong) on the 20th.

The opening ceremony was held with the participation of Mayor Dongjin Lee, the head of Banghak 2-dong Residents’ Autonomous Committee, the president of the Banghak-dong Dokkaebi Market Merchants Association, and others.

The Smart Library is an unmanned library where books can be borrowed and returned year-round. Any member holding a Dobong-gu Public Library membership card can use it. For accessibility, the entrance is equipped with a ramp, and the device screen is set at wheelchair height.

The collection includes about 500 books selected based on ▲ high borrowing reservation frequency ▲ bestsellers ▲ excellent new releases ▲ institution-recommended and selected books ▲ and award-winning works domestically and internationally.

Books can be borrowed for 14 days, up to two books per person, and can be extended for seven days via the Dobong-gu Integrated Library website. However, users with overdue books at the Dobong-gu Integrated Library cannot use the Smart Library, and books borrowed from the Smart Library must be returned there.

New membership registration for Dobong-gu Public Library can be done on the Dobong-gu Integrated Library website, followed by visiting a nearby public library to register an ID. Detailed information such as catalog search is available on the Dobong-gu Integrated Library website.

This Smart Library at Banghak-dong Dokkaebi Market is Dobong-gu’s second Smart Library, following the Changdong Smart Library (left side of Dobong SE Market, Exit 2 of Changdong Station) opened in May last year. The district plans to add another Smart Library at Exit 1 of Ssangmun Station basement later this year.

Mayor Dongjin Lee said, “We have newly opened an unmanned library near the busy Dokkaebi Market that residents can use anytime. We will continue to improve library accessibility so residents can easily access books in their daily lives.”

On May 21, the legal commemorative day known as Couples’ Day, Gwangjin-gu held the ‘2022 Couples’ Day: Discovering Marital Love’ program at the district office’s comprehensive situation room.

Organized by the Gwangjin-gu Family Center, the program was designed to reflect on the importance of marital relationships and provide time to express love to each other.

The district recruited 20 couples residing within Gwangjin-gu on a first-come, first-served basis and conducted the program divided into ▲ couples’ special lecture ▲ and couples’ experiential activities.

The ‘Couples’ Special Lecture’ featured guest lecturer Yuhyun Choi from the nonprofit organization Pureun Ausung, presenting on the topic ‘The Five Love Languages of Couples.’

The ‘Couples’ Experiential Activities’ invited instructor Hyunju Lee from Huayu Flower & Horticultural Therapy Center to lead a session creating flower baskets and love message cards.

The district makes significant efforts every year on Couples’ Day to remind couples of the importance of their relationship and to wish for family happiness.