Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Seoul Gangseo-gu, Marks 100 Days in Office: What Are the '5 Major Achievements'?

Major 5 Achievements of Gangseo-gu in the First 100 Days of the 8th Civilian Administration ▲ Establishing a Foundation for a High-Quality Balanced City Revitalizing the Old Downtown ▲ Boosting Local Economy with Culture and Arts in Gangseo ▲ Creating a Family-Friendly Gangseo for Happy Child-Rearing ▲ Practicing Inclusion with Socially Vulnerable Groups ▲ Developing Rational Solutions for a Safe and Eco-Friendly Gangseo

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “I am a thorough performance-oriented person. I will definitely respond with results to the residents' choice for the change and development of Gangseo-gu.”

It has been 100 days since Kim Tae-woo, the mayor of Gangseo-gu, Seoul, took office in the 8th local government.

Since taking office, Mayor Kim has been moving faster than anyone else to keep his promises to the residents.

Gangseo-gu has set five major administrative goals to achieve its slogan, “The future made by change, Gangseo leaping forward with residents,” and is actively promoting projects.

Let's take a look at the major achievements of how Gangseo-gu has been changing in the 100 days since Mayor Kim took office.

◆ The foundation for a high-quality balanced city where the old downtown is revived is firmly laid... Establishing the basis for redevelopment and reconstruction of the old downtown with the slogan ‘Hwagok becomes Magok’

‘Hwagok becomes Magok’ was Mayor Kim’s top priority pledge during his candidacy. The goal is to improve the residential environment of the old downtown areas such as Hwagok-dong and Banghwa-dong, whose functions have declined due to the central development of the Magok district, to achieve regional balanced development. This is linked to the first of the five major administrative goals of the 8th local government, ‘A high-quality balanced city where the old downtown is revived,’ and has entered full-scale implementation.

The redevelopment and reconstruction policy for the old downtown has been progressing rapidly since the establishment of a dedicated organization in August. Along with the formation of the dedicated organization, the district plans to realize redevelopment and reconstruction of the old downtown by the power of Gangseo residents through the operation of the Old Downtown Revitalization Promotion Committee, composed of public-private and experts.

Efforts are also underway to share all processes of redevelopment and reconstruction with residents and reflect their opinions. On September 20, the district held an ‘Old Downtown Revitalization Residents Briefing Session’ to respond to residents’ wishes regarding reconstruction and redevelopment. About 500 residents attended, and Mayor Kim personally took the microphone to share progress and present a vision. On September 29, the ‘Old Downtown Revitalization Resident Communication Supporters’ held an inauguration ceremony and began activities to directly communicate with residents and incorporate their ideas in the redevelopment and reconstruction process.

The pledge ‘Hwagok becomes Magok,’ which seemed the most difficult, is progressing the fastest.

◆ Gangseo regains vitality in the local economy with abundant culture and arts... Busking performances held on Magok Culture Street & Gangseo Arts Center and Astronomy and Space Science Museum preparing for opening in the first half of next year

On August 25, the ‘Magok Culture Street Busking’ performances, initiated by Mayor Kim’s plan to make Magok a youthful and artistic street comparable to Hongdae, gained popularity with each event. The district immediately planned Season 2, and performances will continue until October 27.

On October 22, the ‘2022 Autumn Night Festival Gangseo Residents Trot Song Contest & Film Screening’ will be held at the lawn square of Seoul Botanical Garden to relieve stress of residents exhausted by COVID-19 and support daily recovery. Cultural events, which were lacking in Gangseo-gu, are gradually increasing.

The ‘Gangseo Arts Center’ in Hwagok-dong and the ‘Banghwa Neighborhood Park Astronomy and Space Science Museum,’ the central spaces for cultural development in the old downtown, have begun full-scale preparations aiming to open in the first half of next year.

‘Gangseo full of culture and arts,’ which aims to delight residents through diverse cultural arts and revitalize the local economy, is gradually being realized.

◆ A Gangseo good for raising children where all families are happy is being created... Gradual expansion of Our Neighborhood Care Centers for after-school elementary care & establishment of kids cafes where children can play regardless of season or fine dust & full-scale promotion of construction of Yeomchang-dong Youth Culture House

Mayor Kim has always emphasized family happiness since the beginning of his term and stated that family happiness is the most important in administration. He promised to improve residential environments in areas such as Hwagok-dong to make Gangseo a good place to raise children.

To this end, he set a goal to expand Our Neighborhood Care Centers for after-school elementary care to up to 10 locations and immediately began implementation. Starting with the opening of Gangseo Branch No. 6 in December, the goal will be achieved by 2026 to reduce the burden of after-school care for elementary students and simultaneously solve low birthrate and women’s career interruption issues.

In 2023, two new kids cafes will also be established where children can always play regardless of season or fine dust, providing safe play spaces for children without economic burden.

Additionally, the ‘Yeomchang-dong Youth Culture House,’ a one-stop comprehensive support institution covering education, welfare, and culture for children and youth, is undergoing preliminary procedures aiming to start construction in July next year. The district is also making efforts to secure land for additional construction.

◆ Practicing companionship with socially vulnerable groups so that no one is left out... Formation of a TF team to prevent real estate ‘empty lease’ damages to protect residents’ property rights & promotion of brokerage fee reduction for young tenant renters

96.7%. This is the new lease rate for multi-family and row houses in Gangseo-gu for the second quarter recently announced by Seoul City. Gangseo-gu was found to have the highest risk of ‘empty lease’ in Seoul, and Mayor Kim immediately responded. Seoul’s first comprehensive countermeasure to prevent ‘empty lease’ was prepared, and a ‘Real Estate Empty Lease Damage Prevention TF Team’ was formed with experts including Gangseo Police Station, Gangseo Branch of the Korea Association of Realtors, and appraisers. Gangseo-gu plans to eradicate fraudulent crimes and protect residents’ valuable property by establishing a cooperative system with various institutions against ‘empty lease,’ which can cause residents to lose their lifelong assets in an instant.

Measures for young tenant renters were also prepared. On September 16, through a business agreement with the Gangseo Branch of the Korea Association of Realtors, a system was introduced to reduce brokerage fees by up to 50% for young tenants (aged 19-34) with deposits under 75 million won. Through brokerage fee reductions made possible by talent donation, the district achieved results in helping young tenants without spending budget.

◆ Establishing reasonable solutions for a safe and environmentally friendly Gangseo coexisting with nature... Launch of ‘Safe Environment Gangseo Creation TF’ for communication with residents regarding undesirable facilities such as combined heat and power plants & concrete discussions among related local governments for relocation of Banghwa-dong construction waste disposal site

On July 1, Mayor Kim visited flood-prone areas as his first schedule after taking office. This was to assess damage caused by heavy rain the previous night and inspect flood control facilities to protect residents’ precious lives and property. For Mayor Kim, residents’ safety is the top priority, which was immediately reflected in the fifth major administrative goal, ‘Safe and environmentally friendly Gangseo coexisting with nature.’

In August, the district launched the ‘Safe Environment Gangseo Creation TF’ to resolve issues related to representative undesirable facilities in the area such as the Banghwa-dong construction waste disposal site, the Southwest Water Reclamation Center, and the combined heat and power plant. Located on the outskirts of Seoul, Gangseo-gu has become a cluster area for undesirable facilities, and the TF team, composed of eight departments, communicates with residents, monitors damage situations, and supports legal advice for resolving complaints.

The district also plans to actively propose and negotiate with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Seoul City to resolve issues regarding the construction of the combined heat and power plant, which residents strongly oppose.

Discussions with related local governments for the relocation of the Banghwa construction waste disposal site are ongoing. Discussions continue among three local governments?Seoul City, Gyeonggi Province, and Gimpo City?and in September, opinions on the relocation and the extension of Seoul Subway Line 5 were directly submitted to Seoul City.

Marking 100 days since taking office, Mayor Kim Tae-woo said, “For all residents, the owners of Gangseo-gu, to be happy and to make Gangseo a better place to live, everything must be renewed. I will continue to work tirelessly to realize ‘The future made by change, Gangseo leaping forward with residents,’ making Gangseo a place where all families, from children to the elderly, are happy.”