[Interview] Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu: "We Will Firmly Protect the Lives, Living Spaces, and Daily Safety of Gwangjin Residents"

Strengthening Emergency Response System at Gwangjin-gu CCTV Integrated Control Center, Operating Gwangjin-gu Safety Deliberation Committee... Implementing Safety Projects Tangible to Residents Such as 'Urban Emptying' to Remove Urban Safety Threats, Undergrounding Overhead Power Lines, Installing Fall Prevention Facilities in Manholes... Building a Robust Social Safety Net for Vulnerable Groups to Protect Everyday Safety

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “Protecting the lives and safety of district residents is the top priority of district administration.”

Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin District, began his first schedule of the term on July 1 by personally inspecting flood-vulnerable sites such as Jayang Rainwater Pump Station and Achasan steep slopes, launching the 8th elected term with residents' safety as the highest priority.

Immediately after the Itaewon tragedy, he ordered a thorough re-examination of various safety systems within the district and the strengthening of the emergency response system at the integrated CCTV control center to proactively respond to safety accidents and disaster situations in densely crowded areas.

Recently, the Gwangjin District CCTV Integrated Control Center improved its monitoring program by adding a ‘Cluster’ alert that notifies when more than two people per square meter gather in major densely populated areas such as Konkuk University’s Mat-ui Street, and a ‘People Counting’ function that measures the hourly floating population in specific spaces within crowded areas. It also equipped the function to broadcast warning messages through CCTV speakers in areas with large crowds.

Through this, the district can recognize risks caused by population density in advance, induce crowd dispersion, and initiate immediate response through a step-by-step situation dissemination system.

Additionally, on days expected to have large crowds such as Christmas, local festivals, and Children’s Day, and in specific areas, dedicated controllers are assigned to monitor the CCTV screens in real time, and the Gwangjin District Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters operates according to disaster response stages to strengthen disaster prevention.

In November, the ‘Gwangjin District Safety Review Committee’ was newly established to require safety reviews through the district office for all outdoor events hosted by private parties with over 500 attendees or those without a host. Furthermore, if an emergency situation is anticipated at a mass gathering event of over 500 people without a host, the district’s safety management department proactively establishes a safety management plan to ensure residents’ safety.

Alongside this, as a core project of the 8th elected term, the district has launched a full-scale ‘Urban Clearing’ initiative to remove safety threats and neglected old facilities in the city. Street flower pots causing inconvenience to pedestrians are maintained or removed, and intensive day and night patrols and administrative guidance are conducted for roadside stored items. The ‘Banner-Free Street’ campaign is actively promoted to eliminate hazards caused by illegal banners. For the undergrounding of overhead power lines project, approximately 6.5 billion KRW will be invested by 2025 in the Ttukseom-ro and Neungdong-ro areas to resolve traffic congestion and pedestrian inconvenience along a 780-meter section.

Moreover, the district is implementing various proactive projects that residents can feel in daily life, including ▲ installation of U-turn lanes and improvement of pedestrian signals for traffic system enhancement ▲ installation of fall-prevention facilities in manholes ▲ free installation of flood prevention facilities for semi-basement houses ▲ installation of voice recognition emergency bells in privately opened restrooms designated by the district, a first in Seoul. Mayor Kim Kyung-ho stated, “The district is focusing not only on building safety systems to respond to disasters and accidents but also on strengthening social safety nets for vulnerable groups.”

By connecting with community members such as gas meter readers and licensed real estate agents who spread like capillaries throughout the community, the district identifies and manages households at risk in welfare blind spots. Through the ‘Embracing 200 Households Project,’ it finds residents in urgent need and provides practical assistance. Efforts to timely support residents in need through a ‘Community Safety Net’ composed of neighborhood leaders and volunteer camp volunteers are also attracting attention.

Additionally, projects designed to ensure no resident is left isolated in the community, such as providing security equipment like entrance CCTV for single-person households including women, conducting welfare check services for middle-aged and elderly at risk of solitary death, and supporting safety products to prevent falls among elderly single-person households, are receiving strong positive responses from residents. Mayor Kim Kyung-ho of Gwangjin District said, “Protecting residents’ safety cannot be emphasized enough,” adding, “We will continue to maintain vigilance and do our utmost to build a robust disaster and accident response system and strengthen a dense social safety net to firmly protect the lives, living spaces, and daily safety of Gwangjin residents.”