Cheongwadae-Baegak 1.9km 'Walking-Friendly Path' to Be Revitalized

Jongno-gu Selected for ‘Seoul City Urban Landscape Project Contest’ to Renovate Walking Trails by 2024

Development of ‘Line Unit’ Walking Tourism Course Featuring Attractions like Cheongwadae, Gyeongbokgung, and Samcheong-dong

Renovation of Aging Facilities and Application of Unified Design to Ensure Comfortable Walking Experience Around the Target Area

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jongno-gu (Mayor Jeong Mun-heon) has been selected for Seoul City’s ‘2023 Urban Landscape Improvement Project’ contest and will promote the ‘Cheongwadae-Baegak Walking Trail Landscape Improvement Project’ from next month until the end of 2024.

The target area covers approximately 1.9 km, starting from Changuimun-ro in front of the Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum, passing through the Baegak Mountain (Bukaksan) trail, and reaching the entrance of the Cheongwadae Chunchoo-gwan.

Considering that Baegak Mountain, which had restricted access since the Kim Shin-jo incident, was fully opened last April after 54 years, and Cheongwadae was also fully opened in May of the same year, the district government has focused on building a cultural tourism belt unique to Jongno during the 8th local government administration.

In particular, the area includes not only Cheongwadae but also Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, and various cultural and artistic spaces including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, aiming to develop a ‘line unit’ walking tourism course connecting major attractions.

With the selection in the Seoul City contest, the district secured 500 million KRW from the city and plans to invest an additional 500 million KRW from the district budget to carry out a landscape improvement project focusing on ‘history and culture,’ ‘natural environment,’ and ‘safety.’

The design phase will start this year, with main construction beginning early next year and completion targeted for November 2024. To ensure residents and tourists can comfortably tour the Baegak-Cheongwadae-Gyeongbokgung area on foot, aging fences and handrails will be carefully renovated, and street facilities will be neatly refurbished with a unified design.

Stairs along the trail will focus on enhancing visibility and applying anti-slip materials to prevent safety accidents. Fence designs will reflect local identity, and rest facilities will feature designs harmonizing with the surrounding landscape.

Once all projects are completed, a streetscape that allows visitors to take in historical and cultural resources and beautiful scenery at a glance will be created, establishing an ideal environment for walking tours throughout Jongno, often called the ‘museum without a roof.’

Mayor Jeong Mun-heon said, “The selection in this contest has turned on a green light for developing a substantial walking tourism course. We will continue to preserve the natural environment around Cheongwadae and Baegak while widely promoting the value of cultural heritage here and creating a walkable environment, realizing the cultural tourism belt as a key project of the 8th local government administration.”

Gangseo-gu Launches Nation’s First ‘Civil Servant VTuber’

Unique Promotion Captivates MZ Generation

Personifying District’s Representative Character ‘Saeromi (Magpie)’ to Introduce Various Content

First Video Sees Rapid View Count Increase Within a Day

Mayor Kim Grants Autonomy to Staff, Leading to Innovative Content

Seoul’s Gangseo-gu (Mayor Kim Tae-woo) has attracted attention by unveiling the nation’s first ‘civil servant VTuber.’

Many local governments operate numerous YouTube channels to deliver new and useful information to residents, but have faced criticism for low view counts and budget waste.

Kim Tae-woo, who previously managed a YouTube channel with 760,000 subscribers, addressed this by delegating full authority over video production to the staff and granting them autonomy.

As a result, a groundbreaking content called ‘civil servant VTuber’ combining creativity and fun was born.

VTuber is short for Virtual YouTuber, where 2D or 3D characters conduct internet broadcasts using cameras or special equipment, gaining increasing popularity domestically and internationally.

The district utilized a VTuber personifying its representative character ‘Saeromi’ to introduce a new content series called ‘VROX ([V]loGs).’

‘VROX’ is a coined term combining ‘Virtual (V),’ ‘Live On (lo),’ and ‘Gangseo (GS),’ meaning a virtual YouTuber presenting vlogs about Gangseo-gu.

The first video released on the 21st introduced the background of the VTuber’s creation and delivered information about Gangseo-gu in an easy and friendly manner.

The video’s views surged with many comments within a day of release, increasing interest in the Gangseo-gu VTuber.

The district explained that since Gangseo-gu has a large young population, this content was planned to communicate with the MZ generation in a new way. Character creation used free programs, and videos were produced in-house, achieving both budget savings and promotional effectiveness.

Mayor Kim Tae-woo said, “To survive in a rapidly changing environment, it is important to create an environment where civil servants can work freely and creatively, breaking away from conventional practices. We will continue to introduce various creative contents for residents and do our best to realize Gangseo as a media city.”

The district plans to showcase various new segments on its official YouTube channel iGangseoTV, naturally capturing staff daily lives and promoting Gangseo-gu policies.

Seodaemun-gu Announces 2023 First Half ‘SNS Content’ Contest

Theme: ‘100% Happiness Seodaemun! Rapid Growth of Seodaemun Walking with Residents!’

Entries Accepted in Video (Video Diaries, Dramas, etc.) and Image (Photos, Card News, Webtoons, etc.) Formats

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seong-heon) announced on the 23rd that it will hold a 2023 first half SNS content contest to promote the district’s major policy projects, cultural and artistic content, tourist attractions, and events through social media.

The submission period is from March 8 to May 31, with the theme ‘100% Happiness Seodaemun! Rapid Growth of Seodaemun Walking with Residents!’ Entries can be submitted as videos or images.

The district provided examples of detailed content such as revitalization of Yonsei-ro commercial district, social contribution activities of community leaders, the launch and achievements of Seodaemun-gu women’s professional basketball team, local attractions and festivals, and residents’ daily lives with their pets.

Video genres include vlogs (video diaries), documentaries, dramas, reports, and animations; image formats include blogs, card news, and webtoons.

Anyone can participate by posting original content created between January and May of this year on their own SNS (YouTube, blogs, Facebook, Instagram, etc.). Entries can be individual or teams of fewer than four people.

Entries must be set to ‘public,’ allow comments and likes, and be searchable, with the hashtag ‘#SeodaemunGuSNSContentContest’ included.

Applicants must download the application form from the Seodaemun-gu website’s public notices, fill in the work description and their SNS link, and submit it along with sample files (for image category) via email.

The district will select 12 winners through expert judging: one grand prize, two excellence awards, and three encouragement awards each in the video and image categories, awarding prize money (100,000 KRW for video grand prize, 300,000 KRW for image grand prize, etc.).

Judging criteria include adherence to theme, originality, usability, professionalism, and interest.

Seodaemun-gu plans to actively utilize the winning works by promoting them through various SNS channels and digital displays at the district office and community centers.

Mayor Lee Seong-heon said, “We are holding this SNS content contest to communicate with citizens through local charm and relatable stories, and we look forward to participation from many interested in Seodaemun-gu.”

Detailed information on content formats and specifications can be found on the Seodaemun-gu website’s public notices (search ‘SNS’). The district also plans to hold a similar contest in the second half of this year.