Cho Ho-kwon, Yeongdeungpo District Mayor, Declares 'The First Year of Yeongdeungpo's Great Transformation'

Choi Ho-kwon, Yeongdeungpo District Mayor, Holds ‘2023 New Year Greeting Meeting’ at Yeongdeungpo Art Hall at 3 PM on the 12th

"We will vigorously move forward with residents toward a ‘New Economy Premium City in the Southwest Area’ where jobs, housing, culture, and green spaces harmonize," he declared

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District, attended the ‘2023 New Year Greeting Meeting’ held at 3 PM on the 12th at Yeongdeungpo Art Hall, pledging a strong leap forward in the Year of the Black Rabbit.

About 1,000 people, including residents, members of the National Assembly, city and district council members, and representatives of professional organizations, attended the ‘2023 New Year Greeting Meeting,’ which featured a video of residents’ New Year wishes, the mayor’s New Year address, and congratulatory performances.

Mayor Choi extended New Year greetings to residents from all walks of life and shared the future direction of district administration. He also expressed his determination for genuine local autonomy that wipes away residents’ tears.

Mayor Choi said, “I will become a mayor who supports and gives hope to residents with the sincerity and passion I had when I started public service in Yeongdeungpo 30 years ago,” adding, “We will vigorously move forward with residents toward a ‘New Economy Premium City in the Southwest Area’ where jobs, housing, culture, and green spaces harmonize.”

Dongdaemun District Holds New Year Greeting Meeting at District Office Auditorium at 3 PM on the 12th

About 1,000 residents gather in one place to make hopeful New Year resolutions

District Mayor Lee Pil-hyung pledges to work hard to create a romantic future city Dongdaemun, where the saying ‘Let’s go to Cheongnyangni on rainy days’ comes true

Dongdaemun District (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) held a New Year Greeting Meeting at 3 PM on the 12th at the multipurpose auditorium on the 2nd floor of the district office to pray for the development and harmony of Dongdaemun District in the hopeful Year of the Black Rabbit 2023.

The event was attended by Mayor Lee Pil-hyung of Dongdaemun District, local members of the National Assembly, city and district council members, heads of institutions, and organization leaders, who delivered messages of hope to residents.

The event began with a performance by the district youth orchestra’s conductor and a congratulatory performance by the district boys and girls choir, followed by a video screening of residents’ New Year wishes, the mayor’s New Year address, guest congratulatory speeches, and a congratulatory song by the district women’s choir.

As a side event, a wish tree was installed at the auditorium entrance where residents wrote their New Year wishes and hung them on the tree in the ‘New Year Wish Tree Event.’ Additionally, a Yutnori (traditional Korean game) donation event was held, organized by the Seoul Social Welfare Community Chest, sharing New Year hopes with neighbors in a meaningful way.

In his New Year address, Mayor Lee Pil-hyung presented five core goals to be actively pursued in the second year of the 8th elected term under the vision of ‘Dongdaemun Opening Happiness’: ▲Dongdaemun as Seoul’s new central city ▲Pleasant Dongdaemun where anyone wants to live ▲Safe everyday life in Dongdaemun ▲Always joyful Dongdaemun ▲Dongdaemun that cares for people’s livelihoods, sharing major projects planned to realize these goals with residents.

Starting with the construction of the ‘Cheongnyangni Station Complex Transfer Center,’ Dongdaemun is preparing to leap forward in various fields, including Cheongnyangni as a center for housing, commerce, and culture; a city of flowers with vibrant scents all year round; a safe city with flood and bicycle insurance; an enjoyable experiential tourism belt connecting Pungmul Market, Seonnongdan, and traditional markets; and the establishment of a ‘Maternal and Child Health Center’ providing systematic care from pregnancy to childcare.

Notably, this year’s welfare budget is 445.6 billion KRW, accounting for 57.1% of the total budget, an increase of 30.7 billion KRW from last year, demonstrating a commitment not to neglect people’s livelihoods.

Also, Dongdaemun is striving to transform into Seoul’s central city by being the first in Seoul to provide ‘Activity Allowance for Unemployed Youth Qualification Acquisition’ and supporting 10 billion KRW in educational expenses for elementary, middle, and high schools, the second highest among Seoul’s autonomous districts.

Finally, Mayor Lee said, “If the past six months were a time to review and plan the direction of district administration, 2023 will be the inaugural year when the 8th elected term’s administration truly begins. If the 340,000 residents of Dongdaemun join us, the 1,500 Dongdaemun district employees will unite and work hard to create a romantic future city Dongdaemun where the saying ‘Let’s go to Cheongnyangni on rainy days’ comes true.”

Mapo District Successfully Holds New Year Greeting Meeting on the 11th...Pledges ‘Mago Soyang (麻姑搔痒)’ to Address Residents’ Needs and Make Administrative Changes Tangible

Shares 2023 Administrative Vision and Key Projects with Residents through New Year Greeting Meeting

Mapo District (Mayor Park Kang-soo) held the ‘2023 New Year Greeting Meeting’ on the 11th at the Mapo District Office Eoullim Madang, taking a strong step toward a ‘New Mapo, Better Mapo’ full of ‘change’ and ‘vitality.’

About 1,520 guests, including residents from all walks of life in Mapo, local members of the National Assembly and party committee chairs, city and district council members, and heads of professional organizations, attended the event, which proceeded with writing wishes on a wish tree, congratulatory performances, viewing a video of residents’ New Year wishes, and the New Year address.

This year’s New Year Greeting Meeting was themed ‘Mago Soyang (麻姑搔痒),’ expressing the pledge to scratch residents’ itchy spots and open a hopeful future where the full-scale change of Mapo can be tangibly felt in the Year of the Black Rabbit (Gyemo Year, 癸卯年) under the 8th elected term.

Mayor Park Kang-soo opened his speech by saying, “A mayor’s day must be worth the combined 370,000 days of the 370,000 residents of Mapo, so I cannot afford to waste a single day,” and presented the administrative vision and key projects for 2023.

This year, Mapo plans to create a community where everyone thrives through projects such as ‘Filial Piety Meals for Residents Aged 75 and Older’ that provide meals and care for physical and mental health, the ‘Sunlight Center’ for customized one-stop health management from pregnancy to childcare, ‘Activation of Community Sports’ to make sports facilities easily accessible to all, and the ‘Disabled Coexistence Committee’ for mutual support in Mapo.

Additionally, Mapo will accelerate securing future growth engines with projects like the ‘Mapo Circular Train Bus’ connecting tourist spots, the ‘Colorful Hongdae Project’ including the Red Road to make Hongdae a representative tourist destination in Korea, and the ‘Eoullim Madang-ro Specialized Street Development.’

Furthermore, Mayor Park strongly opposed the Seoul city’s plan to build an incineration plant in Mapo, stating, “I will not compromise except for a complete cancellation,” urging the establishment of fundamental waste treatment policies, as Mapo has demonstrated that waste reduction is possible through proper recycling separation and pre-treatment of household waste.

The New Year Greeting Meeting was broadcast live in real time to share the administrative direction and policy vision with the 370,000 residents of Mapo and to vividly capture residents’ voices, with many residents participating by watching the live broadcast.

Mayor Park Kang-soo expressed his New Year aspirations, saying, “Steps with a destination are vigorous,” and “Together with about 1,500 Mapo public officials, I will run with the spirit of ‘Juma Gapyeon’ (whipping a running horse) focusing solely on residents toward a new Mapo, a better Mapo, and a Mapo where residents are the owners.”

Seoul Metropolitan District Mayors’ Association Holds New Year Greeting Meeting, 176th Regular Meeting, and New Year Greeting with Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Seoul District Mayors

The Seoul Metropolitan District Mayors’ Association (Chairman Lee Seong-heon, Mayor of Seodaemun District) held the 176th regular meeting at 7:30 AM on the 12th in the Planning Situation Room (6th floor) of Seoul City Hall.

Before the regular meeting, a New Year Greeting Meeting was held at the 8th-floor conference room of Seoul City Hall. The New Year Greeting Meeting was organized as an occasion for Mayor Oh Se-hoon of Seoul and autonomous district mayors to reflect on the past year and share hopes for the new year.

Chairman Lee Seong-heon said, “In the new year, the Seoul Metropolitan District Mayors’ Association will do its best to help autonomous districts overcome difficulties together so that all citizens can enjoy a healthy and happy Seoul,” adding, “We will work closely with Seoul City to realize the city’s core value of ‘Walking Together with the Vulnerable.’”

Following the New Year meeting, the day’s meeting deliberated and resolved four agenda items: ▲Proposals for institutional improvements related to station-area youth housing projects (Dongjak District) ▲Improvement of specific facility rates in neighborhood parks (Dobong District) ▲Requests to expand support for structural and first aid education expenses (Gwanak District) ▲Requests to expand autonomous district financial support to encourage birth rates (Gangdong District).

Seoul City also requested cooperation from autonomous districts on ▲Recruitment of participants for ‘Wrist Doctor 9988’ (Seoul Smart Health Division) ▲Support for autonomous district bids to host the Digital Companion Plaza (Seoul Digital Policy Office) ▲Cooperation on crackdowns on illegal buildings (Seoul Architecture Planning Division) ▲Participation in a new slogan preference survey (Seoul Brand Office) ▲Cooperation for the second phase pilot project of Seoul’s Guaranteed Income (Seoul Guaranteed Income Promotion Division) ▲Cooperation for the 2022 Business Establishment Survey (Seoul Big Data Office) ▲Promotion of early scrapping of Grade 4 diesel vehicles (Seoul Air Quality Policy Division).

Among these, the ‘Proposals for institutional improvements related to station-area youth housing projects (Dongjak District)’ was amended and approved to collect separate proposals from each autonomous district and submit additional requests to Seoul City, while the other three agenda items were approved as originally proposed.

The meeting was attended by 24 district mayors, including Chairman Lee Seong-heon and six deputy attendees, and seven officials from Seoul City, including Administrative Deputy Mayor Kim Ui-seung and heads of related departments.

The 177th regular meeting is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.