Seocho-gu Office Plaza Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

[Seoul District News] Seocho-gu Holds '2022 Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony' on 29th at District Office 1st Floor Plaza to Share Warmth and Love with Neighbors in Need ... Jongno-gu Installs Large Tree in Marronnier Park Area on December 1 ... Yangcheon-gu Hosts Lighting Exhibition Festival ‘2nd Yangcheon Bicenara Festival’ from December 2 to January 31 at Pari Park and Anyangcheon ... Gangdong-gu Promotes District Goal ‘Vibrant Change, Proud Gangdong’ Using 4,000 Registered Taxis...

Jeon Seong-su, Seocho-gu Mayor (ninth from the right), is taking a commemorative photo at the 2022 Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony held on the 29th at the Seocho-gu Office Plaza.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) held the '2022 Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony' on the 29th at the first-floor plaza of the district office to celebrate the year-end.

Organized by the Seocho Parish Council, this Christmas tree lighting ceremony has been held since 2010 as an event to deliver warm attention and messages of love to neighbors in need during the year-end season.

The event proceeded in the order of ▲pre-ceremony events ▲thanksgiving worship ▲donation delivery for helping neighbors ▲Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

The 6-meter tall large tree lit on this day will shine daily from 5 PM to 10 PM and will continue until January 27 of next year.

Seocho-gu expects that through this Christmas tree, not only residents but also citizens passing near the district office will find comfort reflecting on the past year and gain the driving force to move forward into the new year.

Attending the lighting ceremony, Seocho-gu Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, “I hope the residents stay safe and healthy,” and added, “We will strive to make the district administration warmer even in the cold weather.”

Jongno-gu (Mayor Jeong Mun-heon) will operate the '2022 Daehak-ro Good Street Marronnier' from December 1 to January 20, 2023, at Marronnier Park and Daemyeong-gil Rest Area in Daehak-ro.

The purpose is to allow passing citizens to calmly wrap up a tumultuous year and gain anticipation for the new year.

Accordingly, a large approximately 6.5-meter tree will be erected in Marronnier Park, decorated with hopeful phrases such as 'Pat Pat,' 'You're Doing Well,' and 'Walk Only on Flower Paths' to melt frozen hearts.

In front of the tree, a charmingly decorated photo zone, a bench for taking pictures, and lighting that softly illuminates flower beds will be installed so that anyone visiting Daehak-ro can create special memories with family, friends, or lovers.

The lighting ceremony, where the large tree's lights will be turned on together and wishes for the new year will be made, will be held at 5 PM on December 1.

The event is organized by the Jongno-gu Parish Council (Chairman Pastor Kang Hyo-seong) and will proceed with a Christmas worship service, donation delivery for helping neighbors, and tree lighting.

Mayor Jeong Mun-heon said, “I hope this place becomes a source of comfort and excitement for everyone who has endured difficult times such as the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession,” and added, “I recommend spending time here to feel the year-end and New Year atmosphere while looking at the sparkling tree and praying for hopes for 2023 with your loved ones.”

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Gi-jae) announced that it will hold the ‘2nd Yangcheon BicheNara Festival (YBNF)’ for two months from December 2 to January 31 next year, where residents can enjoy a winter garden filled with lights at Pari Park and Anyangcheon.

Following last year's Yangcheon Park, this year's festival held at the newly renovated Pari Park aims to gift unforgettable memories to residents with a lighting exhibition brightening the winter garden during the year-end and New Year season.

The district plans to make the most of Pari Park's unique spaces such as Salon de Pari, Book Rest Area, Embroidery Flower Bed, and Hanbul Square by installing ▲radial string lights ▲mood lights ▲tree lights ▲photo zone lights ▲light tunnel (entrance) ▲moon light bench ▲character lights to present an exotic winter night.

Especially, 3,000 string lights will be hung along the 650-meter outer trail surrounding Pari Park to create a galaxy of lights. Additionally, about 1,100 string lights (approximately 470 meters) will be installed along the Anyangcheon waterfront promenade (from Sinjeong Bridge to Omok Bridge) and the rose garden to create a romantic walking path.

On December 2, the lighting event will feature the ‘Concert in the Forest’ by the Lee Han-jin Brass Jazz Band starting at 5:30 PM on the lawn in front of Salon de Pari in Pari Park. At 6 PM, the lighting ceremony will take place, marking the opening of the ‘2nd Yangcheon BicheNara Festival.’ Furthermore, the district plans to hold a BicheNara photo contest after the festival to complete a park culture involving residents.

The district plans to continue holding YBNF annually in neighborhood parks and Anyangcheon, closely connected to residents' lives, to establish it as Yangcheon-gu's representative winter garden light festival.

Yangcheon-gu Mayor Lee Gi-jae said, “I hope everyone has a warm and happy year-end and New Year with the 2nd Yangcheon BicheNara Festival,” and added, “We will continue to expand themed festivals suitable for each season to create a park culture of healing and rest.”

Lee Soo-hee, Mayor of Gangdong-gu (right), is attaching a magnetic badge of the district's BI goal to a taxi during the 4th quarter work status inspection of the Gangdong Model Drivers Association on the 28th.

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Soo-hee) announced that it will produce BI (Brand Image) magnetic stickers for vehicles with the 8th term district administration goal ‘Vigorous Change, Proud Gangdong’ and distribute them to about 4,000 registered taxis in the district.

The promotion of the district BI vehicle magnetic stickers involves the Gangdong-gu Exemplary Drivers Association, the Individual Taxi Gangdong Branch, and 17 corporate taxi companies. The approximately 4,000 registered taxis in the district will run throughout Seoul as ambassadors promoting the district administration goal.

The 8th term district administration goal ‘Vigorous Change, Proud Gangdong’ embodies the meaning of making Gangdong-gu a ‘livable and proud Gangdong-gu’ through communication, change, and innovation as ‘vigorous change.’

Also, the 8th term BI visualizes Gangdong-gu’s vigorous change as a rising red sun, expressing a dynamic and lively Gangdong, and the proud Gangdong making residents smile is symbolized by a smile emoticon.

Currently, Gangdong-gu has about 3,400 individual taxis and over 1,300 taxis from 17 corporate companies registered, making it the sixth district in Seoul with the most registered taxis.

Gangnam-gu (Mayor Cho Seong-myeong) was selected as the best institution in the tax investigation category at the 15th ‘Korea Local Finance Awards’ hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, winning the award for the second consecutive year following last year's achievement in the arrears collection category.

The ‘Korea Local Finance Awards’ is the most prestigious local finance award held annually by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety since 2008, targeting 243 local governments nationwide. A total of 38 cases in tax investigation, arrears collection, and benchmarking categories were reviewed, and 8 final winners were selected. Gangnam-gu was the only district in Seoul to be selected as the best institution.

In Gangnam-gu, when corporations acquire real estate, a heavy tax rate (8%) is applied to prevent population concentration in large cities. However, ‘real estate investment companies’ are exceptionally subject to the general tax rate (4%) when acquiring real estate, thus exempted from the heavy tax. Nonetheless, some companies abused this by using the real estate contrary to the acquisition purpose, such as violating the establishment purpose, selling the real estate, or converting to a general corporation, without being able to reclaim the benefits gained from the heavy tax exemption.

The district regarded this real estate acquisition tax exemption as a kind of tax reduction benefit. According to the Local Tax Special Cases Act, if the exemption is applied but the purpose is not followed, the tax can be reclaimed. The district investigated real estate used contrary to the acquisition purpose among real estate investment companies and applied the general imposition rules for exemptions, collecting 37.7 billion KRW in acquisition tax exemptions. This excellent case will receive commendation and a 200 million KRW incentive from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

Meanwhile, last year, the district was selected as an excellent institution in the arrears collection category for disposing of seized real estate that had been abandoned for decades without collection possibility through public auction, providing personal rehabilitation opportunities to livelihood debtors and improving tax administration efficiency, receiving a 100 million KRW incentive.

Gangnam-gu Mayor Cho Seong-myeong said, “I appreciate the efforts of employees who contributed greatly to expanding local finances by discovering hidden tax sources with excellent ideas,” and added, “We will continue to realize fair taxation through thorough tax investigations.”