Yangcheon-gu Welcomes Confirmation of Private Railway Project from Daejang New Town to Hongdaeipgu

[Seoul Autonomous District News] Yangcheon-gu Passes Third-Party Proposal Announcement for Daejang-Hongdae Line Operator Selection & Subway Era Opening Soon in Sinwol-dong, a Rail Transit Desert... Gangseo-gu Recruiting ‘Old Town Revitalization (Redevelopment·Reconstruction) Resident Communication Supporters’... Seongdong-gu Launches ‘Visiting Apartment Bicycle Repair and Wash Service’... Gwangjin-gu Replaces ‘IoT Security Lights’ for Safer Night Streets

Daegang-Hongdae Line Approximate Route Map ※ Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Gi-jae) warmly welcomes the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's announcement confirming the promotion of the Daejang New Town-Hongdae Entrance private railway project and stated that it will spare no effort in cooperation and support to ensure the metropolitan railway project proceeds smoothly.

On the 6th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that the third-party proposal announcement (RFP) for selecting the operator of the Bucheon Daejang New Town-Hongdae Entrance private railway project passed the Private Investment Project Review Committee (Ministry of Strategy and Finance) and that operator recruitment will begin by the end of the year.

The Daejang-Hongdae Line is an approximately 20km route connecting Bucheon Daejang New Town in Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province, through Yangcheon-gu and Gangseo-gu in Seoul, Deogeun District in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, Mapo-gu in Seoul, to Hongdae Entrance Station. It is a metropolitan railway project that will greatly improve transportation convenience in the southwestern metropolitan area. It gained momentum for promotion after passing the private investment feasibility study (KDI) last November.

Until now, the Sinwol-dong area of Yangcheon-gu, which was the only area in Seoul without a subway station, is expected to escape the subway blind spot with the confirmation of the Daejang-Hongdae Line private railway project, opening the way to solving local transportation issues.

Lee Gi-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, “For proper urban development, transportation issues closely related to residents' lives must be resolved.” He added, “Although several hurdles remain, such as priority negotiation, implementation agreement, implementation plan approval, and groundbreaking, passing the biggest hurdle of investment review means the project has entered the normal track.”

He also said, “If the preliminary feasibility studies currently underway at KDI for the Mokdong Line and the Gangbuk Transversal Line pass, the insufficient public transportation infrastructure in Yangcheon-gu will be dramatically improved along with the Daejang-Hongdae Line.” He pledged, “We will do our best to ensure the project proceeds without obstacles through close cooperation with related organizations such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Seoul City.”

Panoramic View of the Hwagok-dong Area

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Tae-woo) is looking for resident partners to create a high-quality balanced city where the old downtown area comes alive.

The district announced that it will recruit ‘Old Downtown Revitalization (Redevelopment/Reconstruction) Resident Communication Supporters’ who will work together to improve the residential environment of the old downtown area by the 22nd of this month.

This is intended to directly communicate with residents during the redevelopment and reconstruction processes in old downtown areas such as Hwagok-dong and Deungchon-dong, reflect their ideas, and create a high-quality balanced city where the old and new downtown areas thrive together.

Earlier, in August, the district established the ‘Old Downtown Development Team’ responsible for redevelopment and reconstruction and the ‘Moatown Team’ in charge of Moa Housing and Moa Town, initiating efforts to improve the residential environment in the old downtown area, which had lagged behind due to the focus on development centered on the Magok district.

The ‘Old Downtown Revitalization Resident Communication Supporters’ to be recruited this time will gather ideas helpful for redevelopment and reconstruction and actively promote various old downtown revitalization policy directions and contents pursued by the district office to local residents.

Any Gangseo-gu resident interested in old downtown revitalization can apply, and the district will select a final 50 people comprehensively considering motivation and relevance to development projects.

Applications can be submitted by the 22nd via email after checking the announcement on the ‘Gangseo-gu Office website (homepage) - Notices/News’ or by visiting the Urban Planning Division of Gangseo-gu Office in person.

The supporters will begin full-scale activities to revitalize the old downtown and achieve regional balanced development for two years until September 2024, starting with an inauguration ceremony in the last week of September.

Mayor Kim Tae-woo said, “Through the activities of the Resident Communication Supporters, we will listen to various ideas from residents about old downtown revitalization and do our best to achieve successful redevelopment and reconstruction.” He added, “We ask for the interest and participation of residents in recruiting supporters who will lead new changes in our area.” For inquiries, contact the Urban Planning Division of Gangseo-gu Office.

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) operates a ‘Visiting Apartment Bicycle Repair Service’ targeting 10 mandatory management apartment complexes with more than 300 households in the area, while expanding the provision of a ‘car wash service.’

With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, interest in personal health management and eco-friendly lifestyles has increased, and demand for bicycle use has grown. To assist residents who found it difficult to visit bicycle repair centers individually when their bicycles broke down, the district will operate the ‘Visiting Apartment Bicycle Repair and Car Wash Service’ from September 14.

The ‘Visiting Apartment Bicycle Repair and Car Wash Service’ will be operated for a total of 10 sessions over 5 weeks every Wednesday and Thursday until mid-October, visiting selected apartment complexes that applied in advance through their management bodies.

A temporary repair and car wash center will be set up at designated outdoor locations within the complexes, where professional companies will provide free basic bicycle inspections such as tire inflation, gear adjustment, noise diagnosis, and chain oil application. Parts replacement services are also available at the cost of parts. Notably, from this time, steam bicycle washing is included in the free service list, expanding convenience-oriented administration for bicycle users.

Seongdong-gu, which has the longest waterfront in Seoul totaling 14.2 km along Cheonggyecheon, Jungnangcheon, and the Han River, has led bicycle use activation since 2017 by enrolling all residents in ‘bicycle insurance’ and offering high-level coverage such as diagnostic fees.

Additionally, from the 14th, the district will operate a ‘Visiting Bicycle Mobile Repair Center’ at six locations including Yongbi Rest Area and Salgoti Sports Park, providing free bicycle inspection and repair services. Especially on days when the center operates at Jungnangcheon Yongbi Rest Area, where many bicycle users gather, 266 services were provided in 13 sessions in the first half of the year, receiving high resident satisfaction.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “We hope the expansion of the visiting apartment bicycle repair service to include steam car washing will further activate bicycle use among residents.” He added, “We will continue to implement various convenience-oriented administrative services so that bicycles, an eco-friendly green transportation mode, can be used more conveniently and safely.”

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) replaced existing flashing lights with IoT security lights to create a safer nighttime environment.

‘IoT security lights’ refer to security lights with sensors attached to objects that use IoT (Internet of Things) technology to exchange real-time data over the internet. They are two-way flashing lights that can be monitored or controlled online via smartphones, PCs, etc.

Based on 5G remote monitoring and control, real-time switching on/off and fault detection are possible, and the district expects IoT security lights to play a significant role in prompt complaint handling and minimizing resident inconvenience.

Moreover, the ability to quickly and efficiently check and manage the status of security lights is expected to greatly contribute to creating a safe nighttime environment and preventing crimes and safety accidents.

The replacement project, which began in April, was completed at the end of August, with a total of 542 units installed in Junggok 2·4-dong, Guui 1·2·3-dong, Jayang 4-dong, Gunjang-dong, Neung-dong, Gwangjang-dong, and Hwayang-dong.

Currently, including the newly replaced units, a total of 2,378 IoT security lights are installed in the district. The district selected replacement sites focusing on areas with low IoT security light installation rates and plans to replace about 530 IoT security lights in 2023.

Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “The IoT security light replacement project has created a nighttime environment where residents can feel more secure.” He added, “We will continue to promote projects for residents’ safety.”