[Interview] Jung Won-oh, Seongdong District Mayor, "Committed to Creating a Refined Culture and Arts City"

Enhancing the Status as a Smart Inclusive City in the 8th Civilian Administration and Adding Culture to Create a Distinguished Cultural and Arts City, Responding to Residents' Trust and Support

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] “In the 8th term of the elected administration, we will further elevate our status as a smart inclusive city, add culture, and develop into a refined cultural and arts city to repay the trust and support given by the residents.”

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said in an interview with this publication during the 8th term, “I deeply thank the residents of Seongdong-gu for giving me the opportunity to serve three times for Seongdong-gu, and I will create a city where culture and arts can be enjoyed according to the characteristics of each region.”

He continued, “Seongdong-gu once had an image of being a somewhat underdeveloped city, but now it is growing into the most livable and desirable city in Seoul, a place where ‘living space, workplace, and resting place’ harmonize.”

Mayor Jung also said that new cultural and artistic trends are gathering first in Seongsu-dong, and by spreading these, Seongdong-gu will achieve great development as a cultural and arts cluster leading K-culture.

Seongdong-gu is attempting to transform into a city good for exercise and rich in culture and rest by utilizing its 14.2 km long waterfront environment including Jungnangcheon Stream, Cheonggyecheon Stream, and the Han River, as well as natural environments such as Eungbongsan Mountain and Seoul Forest. The ‘Seoul Forest Complex Culture and Sports Center,’ which opened in July, was built on the Ttukseom detention basin that used to retain rainwater. It is a four-story building with a total floor area of 5,589㎡, designed as a complex facility where residents can enjoy various sports and cultural programs to meet the increasing demand for sports and culture after COVID-19.

Additionally, the ‘Seongdong Ai Sarang Complex Culture Center,’ which opened last year, is a culture experience center focused on infants and young children where the whole family can enjoy, learn, and experience together. It was recently benchmarked by Hanam City. Moreover, the district has received much positive response from residents by expanding various facilities where culture can be accessed by region, such as the construction of forest libraries and the creation of Book Maru.

He also revealed plans to continue cultural and arts festivals that had been interrupted for three years due to COVID-19. Starting with the Dumo Festival in Oksu-dong in June, the Seoul Forest Healing Film Festival was successfully held. The last week of September will feature Seongdong Cinema Week (9.25.~9.30.), and on the 30th, the 27th Chunsa International Film Festival will be held in Seongdong-gu. In October, the Seongdong Residents’ Singing Contest, the Taejo Yi Seong-gye Festival, and the B-boy Festival are also anticipated.

Mayor Jung emphasized, “The dignity of a city depends on how much the cultural sector develops. Naturally, securing budgets and investments for cultural development will be further expanded in the future. With this expansion, if residents feel ‘our neighborhood is a good place to live,’ their satisfaction with the district administration will naturally improve.”

Seongdong-gu is currently pursuing designation as a smart cultural city, expecting a true leap into a cultural city. The ‘Cultural City’ designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is a city designated under the Regional Culture Promotion Act to effectively utilize unique cultural resources by region and strengthen cultural creativity. The cultural city evaluation is currently underway, and if designated as a main city after a one-year preliminary city project, it will implement projects worth a total of 20 billion KRW over five years, including 10 billion KRW in national funds and 10 billion KRW in matching funds from local governments and districts.

Mayor Jung said, “If designated as a smart cultural city, we plan to add ‘culture’ to the ‘smart inclusive city’ to create new content that greatly improves the accessibility and enjoyment rights of cultural and welfare services for Seongdong residents. Various CT (Culture Technology) contents within the region will be utilized together with entrepreneurs, residents, and artists based in Seongdong-gu.”

Finally, in response to a question about the utilization plan for the Sampo Remicon Seongsu factory site, which was demolished last month, he answered that in consultation with Seoul City, they plan to create a world-class landmark such as a cultural tourism complex facility. He also mentioned plans to build a 1,000-seat performance hall on the site of the Booyoung Hotel construction in Seongsu-dong, raising expectations for the future of cultural city Seongdong.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “Seongdong-gu has been a city neglected and barren in the cultural and arts field, but the atmosphere has completely changed in recent years. As the 8th term smart inclusive city, we will further elevate our status, add culture, and develop into a refined cultural and arts city to repay the trust and support given by the residents.”