Seodaemun-gu Wins Grand Prize in 2022 Youth-Friendly Legislative Awards

[Seoul District News] Seodaemun-gu's 'Youth Day' Award Ceremony Held on the 17th at Olympic Park Peace Plaza... Gangseo-gu, Hwagok Also Becomes Magok! Successful Resident Briefing on Old Downtown Revitalization

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seong-heon) announced on the 21st that it won the Grand Prize in the comprehensive category at the ‘2022 Youth-Friendly Legislative Awards’ hosted by the Youth and Future Association under the jurisdiction of the National Assembly Secretariat.

The district was recognized for contributing to the creation of a youth-friendly environment in various fields such as operating youth participation organizations, promoting youth support projects, and hosting youth-related events, receiving the top comprehensive award.

In fact, the district helped young people with employment and startups through startup monitoring & mentoring, digital tutor operation, and support for food service startups. It also provided employment incentives to young people who have been facing greater difficulties in finding jobs due to the prolonged social distancing measures.

Furthermore, the district promoted the Youth Challenge Project and youth policy governance (co-governance) to allow young people to directly implement their planned ideas, and supplied various youth housing to stabilize youth housing conditions.

The awards ceremony was held on the 17th of this month at the Peace Plaza in Olympic Park, coinciding with Youth Day (the third Saturday of September every year).

Lee Seong-heon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, “This award seems even more meaningful as the selection committee, composed of youth and experts, conducted the evaluation directly,” and added, “We will work harder to support employment, startups, housing, and activities so that young people can dream of the future.”

On the 20th at 7 p.m., Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo-gu, Seoul, directly presented his vision for revitalizing the old downtown area (redevelopment and reconstruction) to local residents at the district office auditorium.

Mayor Kim put forward ‘Hwagog becomes Magok too’ as the slogan and ‘A high-quality balanced city where the old downtown comes alive’ as his first pledge. The residents’ briefing session held that day was the first event organized by the district as a full-fledged step to fulfill that promise.

The district organized this event to listen to the voices of local residents hoping for improvements in the residential environment and to share progress on redevelopment and reconstruction projects.

The atmosphere on site was heated with enthusiasm for revitalizing the old downtown area (redevelopment and reconstruction). About 500 residents, more than initially expected, gathered, and some stood while listening to the briefing.

Every time Mayor Kim presented his vision for revitalizing the old downtown area (redevelopment and reconstruction), cheers and applause erupted from the residents.

The briefing session proceeded in the order of ▲ progress report on projects for revitalizing the old downtown ▲ formation and operational direction of the public-private joint old downtown revitalization promotion committee ▲ progress status of housing maintenance projects by each neighborhood ▲ Q&A session.

Mayor Kim said, “We are actively cooperating by directly meeting with related agencies such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Seoul City to ensure that projects to improve the residential environment in old downtown areas such as Hwagog-dong and Banghwa-dong can be promoted promptly.”

He continued, “We will promote successful redevelopment and reconstruction with a triangular alliance of the public, private sector, and experts,” and emphasized, “With the power of Gangseo residents, we will surely fulfill the promise that Hwagog becomes Magok too.”

The district plans to continue holding residents’ briefing sessions led by the district office to share the progress of housing maintenance projects underway in the area, such as reconstruction and Moa Town candidate sites, with residents.