[Seoul District News] Jungnang-gu Resolves Dispute Over Installation of Privacy Screens in Costco Sangbong Branch Ground Parking Lot Through Active Mediation to Protect Residents' Privacy ... Gangnam-gu to Install Sidewalks in Eonbuk Elementary School Zone by February Next Year & Establish Special Measures for 12 Elementary School Zones & Advance Construction at Eonbuk Elementary, Other Schools to Complete by End of August
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “We are grateful to Costco for installing the privacy screens and to the district office for actively resolving the conflict.”
This is a statement from the representative of the residents of Hanil Sunersville, located in Sangbong-dong, Jungnang-gu.
Jungnang-gu (District Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) announced that the long-standing privacy protection dispute between Costco Sangbong Branch and the residents of Hanil Sunersville Apartment has been resolved.
The distance between Costco Sangbong Branch and Hanil Sunersville Apartment is 10 meters, making them adjacent. From the Costco parking lot, the interior of the apartment was clearly visible.
The privacy protection dispute that started from this situation lasted for 10 years. Residents continuously requested the installation of privacy screens in the parking lot to protect their privacy, but Costco Sangbong Branch faced difficulties in obtaining approval from its headquarters for the installation costs.
To resolve the issue, the district office stepped in. Through sufficient communication and discussion with both parties, the district untangled the long-standing conflict. Considering the residents’ long-term complaints, the district actively requested the headquarters to install the privacy screens.
As a result, on December 11, privacy screens were installed on the 2nd to 4th floors of the Costco Sangbong Branch parking lot, ending the prolonged conflict.
Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “We thank Costco Sangbong Branch and the apartment residents for fulfilling their social responsibility and cooperating to resolve the issue. We will continue to actively visit residents in areas where conflict resolution is needed, listen carefully, communicate, and strive to alleviate residents’ inconveniences.”
◆Jungnang-gu
Gangnam-gu (District Mayor Cho Sung-myung) announced special traffic safety measures for 12 elementary schools without sidewalks among a total of 32 elementary schools in the district at a related agencies meeting held at Eonbuk Elementary School on the 13th.
The district will conduct basic planning and detailed design services for traffic safety measures in the school zones of 12 elementary schools, including a 962-meter section of the mixed pedestrian and vehicle road in front of Eonbuk Elementary School. The road in front of Eonbuk Elementary will prioritize sidewalk construction, with plans to complete the new sidewalks by the end of February, before the start of the new school term next year. To this end, the district plans to complete the basic planning and detailed design services related to one-way traffic, sidewalk installation, and traffic safety facilities, as well as the traffic safety facility review by the police station, by January next year.
Additionally, sidewalk construction for the other 11 elementary schools in the district, which also lack clear separation between sidewalks and roads, is planned to be completed by August next year. The required budget is approximately 5.3 billion KRW, which the district will strive to secure promptly and will closely cooperate with related agencies such as the Gangnam Police Station to expedite the construction period as much as possible.
During the road construction, protective fences for pedestrian safety, cobblestones, and speed bumps to reduce vehicle speed will be installed. After the sidewalks are newly constructed, traffic safety facilities such as traffic safety signs, road markings, and speed enforcement cameras will also be installed.
Furthermore, the district plans to implement a system where traffic safety instructors accompany groups of about eight children who share the same route to and from school, guiding them safely.
Meanwhile, in April, the district provided school zone safety covers to 17,866 students across 21 elementary schools in the area. The school zone safety cover is a fluorescent yellow cover placed on students’ backpacks, prominently displaying the number ‘30,’ indicating a speed limit of 30 km/h, enhancing pedestrian safety and raising drivers’ awareness of the speed limit. The district will conduct an additional demand survey for these safety covers following the recent accident.
Cho Sung-myung, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, expressed, “We deeply mourn the unfortunate accident and will carry out extensive repair work for elementary schools in areas without sidewalks to promptly improve the pedestrian environment around schools.”
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