Yeongdeungpo-gu Mayor Choi Ho-kwon Attends '2023 Donghaeng Seoul Nuri Festival'

Choi Ho-kwon, Yeongdeungpo District Mayor, Attends '2023 Donghaeng Seoul Nuri Festival'

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District, attended the '2023 Donghaeng Seoul Nuri Festival' held on the afternoon of the 18th at Yeouido Park's Culture Square and toured the promotional booths.

This event was organized by the Seoul Association of Persons with Physical Disabilities to commemorate the 43rd Disability Day, with about 3,500 attendees. The program included the Seoul Welfare Awards ceremony, congratulatory performances, and disability experience booths.

Mayor Choi said, “We will do our best to promote welfare and rights for persons with disabilities so that they can stand tall as members of our society,” adding, “We will recognize differences rather than discrimination and build an inclusive society where persons with and without disabilities live together harmoniously.”

Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo District, Seoul, Attends Opening Ceremony of Banghwa 2-dong Community Center... “An Open Facility for Residents”

Gangseo District, Seoul, Successfully Holds Opening Ceremony of Banghwa 2-dong Community Center... Reborn as a Resident-Centered Administrative Space

Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo District, Seoul, attended the opening ceremony of Banghwa 2-dong Community Center on the afternoon of the 18th and said, “With the relocation of the community center, Banghwa-dong will transform into a better village for residents.”

Mayor Kim stated, “Since taking office, I have worked tirelessly day and night to lead the agreement on relocating the Banghwa landfill, and the site of over 1 million square meters where the landfill was located will be developed into an eco-friendly park unlike any other in Seoul.”

The opening ceremony was held with about 200 attendees, including Mayor Kim Tae-woo and local residents, and proceeded with a commemorative tree planting, ribbon cutting, plaque unveiling, progress report, awards for construction and design contributors, and facility tours.

Located at 52 Gaehwa-dong-ro 21-gil, the Banghwa 2-dong Community Center was built with a total floor area of 2,048.58㎡, consisting of one basement floor and five above-ground floors.

The old and cramped facility, which caused significant inconvenience to residents, has been reborn as a resident-centered administrative service space.

Relocated near Gaehwasan Station on Subway Line 5, accessibility has greatly improved, and various resident convenience facilities such as a small library, fitness room, and program rooms have been provided, making it an open space for residents.

In particular, the small library on the first floor is a comic-specialized library, providing a dedicated space where children can comfortably relax and read books, allowing parents to watch their children and spend time together.

Mayor Kim Tae-woo said, “Residents of Banghwa 2-dong have experienced many inconveniences due to outdated facilities and limited space,” adding, “We will do our best to communicate more with residents and provide better administrative services in the new open community center.”

On the 17th, ‘Mapo District - Ongjin County Sisterhood Agreement’ Signed for Mutual Cooperation and Win-Win Development… Exchanges in Economy, Tourism, etc.

Park Kang-soo, Mayor of Mapo District: “We share the goal of developing the local economy through tourism as a core... Expecting to enhance urban competitiveness”

Mapo District (Mayor Park Kang-soo) signed a sisterhood agreement with Ongjin County on the 17th to promote mutual cooperation and win-win development.

The agreement aims to explore exchanges and mutual development in various local fields such as economy, tourism, culture, education, and sports, and the signing ceremony was held at Ongjin County Office.

Through this, both institutions agreed to share and utilize each other's resources, discover sustainable cooperative projects, and mutually cooperate to enhance residents' benefits.

Among the commitments are active cooperation and support in ▲ revitalizing local culture, tourism, and sports ▲ mutual promotion of excellent agricultural and specialty products and cooperation in direct sales markets ▲ mutual visits of public officials and exchange of administrative information ▲ mutual support in case of disasters and emergencies.

Particularly, a solid cooperative system in tourism and economic sectors is anticipated, as both institutions share the goal of driving the local economy centered on the tourism industry.

Accordingly, Mapo District plans to conduct familiarization tours utilizing each local government's tourism programs, support mutual promotion of local festivals and tourist attractions, and operate direct sales markets for excellent agricultural and marine products.

On this day, Moon Kyung-bok, Mayor of Ongjin County, said, “Our county is the premier tourist destination in the metropolitan area with pristine natural scenery, and with the recent confirmation of Baengnyeong Airport project opening air routes, we have created an opportunity to become the nation's top tourist destination,” adding, “Through today's agreement, we will actively promote win-win cooperation with Mapo District in tourism, economy, culture, sports, and education.”

In response, Park Kang-soo, Mayor of Mapo District, said, “Ongjin County and Mapo District share the common goal of developing the local economy with tourism as a core industry,” adding, “I hope this sisterhood agreement will allow us to jointly explore ways to further enhance the competitiveness of our cities.”

Mayor Park Kang-soo met with Moon Kyung-bok, Mayor of Ongjin County, who visited Mapo District in February for sisterhood agreement discussions, listening to key local information such as Ongjin County's regional characteristics, tourist attractions, and specialty products, and explored ways for friendly exchanges between the two institutions.

Dongjak District and Gimpo City Become Sister Cities… Promise Multi-Faceted Exchange and Cooperation

Sisterhood Agreement Signed on the 17th, Agreement to Maintain Mutual Exchange and Cooperation

Dongjak District (Mayor Park Il-ha) signed a sisterhood agreement with Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province, on the 17th for regional joint development.

The sisterhood agreement ceremony held at Gimpo Art Village Hanok Village was attended by Park Il-ha, Mayor of Dongjak District, Kim Byung-soo, Mayor of Gimpo City, and other officials from both local governments.

Dongjak District and Gimpo City agreed to closely cooperate in various fields including administration, economy, culture, education, and tourism for the development of their communities.

According to the agreement, both institutions will share and utilize their resources to the fullest extent and actively discover and promote various projects to revitalize the local economy.

They also plan to promote broad activities such as discounted use fees for Gimpo City cultural and public facilities for Dongjak residents, cooperation and support for local festivals, cultural and artistic events, agricultural and specialty products, and support for private exchanges.

Additionally, the district plans to increase exchanges with domestic and international sister cities to enhance external recognition, image, and attract tourists.

Mayor Park Il-ha of Dongjak District said, “It is very meaningful to establish a sisterhood with Gimpo City, a transportation hub with beautiful natural scenery and cultural heritage,” adding, “I hope this agreement will allow both cities to maximize their strengths and develop further.”

Kim Gil-sung, Mayor of Jung District, Discusses Exchange and Cooperation with Friendly City Yiwu, China

On the morning of the 18th, Kim Gil-sung, Mayor of Jung District, met with Wang Wei (王?), Vice Mayor of Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province, China, who visited Jung District Office, to discuss ways to enhance friendship between the two cities.

Jung District has maintained friendly exchanges since signing a memorandum of understanding on friendly exchange and cooperation with Yiwu City in 2005. Jung District has visited Yiwu five times, and Yiwu has visited Jung District 19 times, attending major events such as expos and film festivals and sharing excellent administrative cases. Due to COVID-19 and other reasons, visits were suspended, but this meeting was the first in eight years since 2015.

The visiting delegation of four arrived at the district office at 9 a.m. and held a meeting with Mayor Kim Gil-sung. Vice Mayor Wang Wei and Mayor Kim introduced their cities' current status and projects and promised to resume exchanges and expand cooperation after a long hiatus.

Vice Mayor Wang Wei, who invited Mayor Kim Gil-sung to visit Yiwu, previously served as First Secretary at the Chinese Embassy in Korea for about four years from 2016, and attracted attention by speaking fluent Korean during the conversation.

Seongbuk District Children and Youth Participation Organizations Hold Appointment Ceremony to Mark Start of Activities

Joint Appointment Ceremony for the 10th Children and Youth Council and the 15th Children and Youth Participation Committee

32 Children’s Council Members, 25 Youth Council Members, 21 Participation Committee Members and Child Rights Protectors Appointed

Representing Seongbuk District’s Children and Youth, Promise to Promote Child and Youth Rights Including Rights Monitoring

Seongbuk District (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) held the ‘2023 Seongbuk District Children and Youth Participation Organizations and Child Rights Protectors Joint Appointment Ceremony’ on the 15th.

The Children and Youth Council and the Children and Youth Participation Committee of Seongbuk District operate as channels to collect and reflect the opinions of children and youth, enabling their direct participation in policy formulation and implementation processes to enhance their rights.

In March, the district recruited members among children and youth residing in Seongbuk District or attending educational institutions there, receiving a total of 78 applications. The members consist of 32 Children’s Council members, 25 Youth Council members, and 21 Participation Committee members and Child Rights Protectors.

This year’s appointment ceremony was held jointly with the 10th Children and Youth Council and the 15th Children and Youth Participation Committee gathered in one place. This fostered bonds between the participation organizations and revitalized youth participation activities that had been stagnant due to COVID-19.

The event began by sharing the 2023 activity directions based on the 2022 activities. Mayor Lee Seung-ro of Seongbuk District presented appointment certificates, and Oh Joong-gyun, Chairperson of Seongbuk District Council, personally awarded membership cards to all participants, encouraging a sense of belonging as members of the participation organizations. They also read a pledge together, promising to faithfully carry out their duties representing Seongbuk District’s children and youth throughout the year.

After concluding the first part with a group photo, the second part included orientation activities to increase intimacy among participants, easing any awkwardness and allowing them to get to know each other.

The 10th Children and Youth Council consists of youth aged 11 to 18. They plan to conduct mock legislative activities such as temporary committee meetings and plenary sessions aiming to enact ordinances by year-end, as well as field experience activities to foster democratic citizenship.

The 15th Children and Youth Participation Committee, involving children and youth aged 9 to 24, holds regular meetings, subcommittee activities, education, and plans the child and youth participation budget to engage in district administration. They also perform rights monitoring activities such as child impact assessments, fulfilling their role as child rights protectors.

Mayor Lee Seung-ro of Seongbuk District said, “We will do our best to listen to the voices of children and youth and communicate with you in district administration,” while Chairperson Oh Joong-gyun of Seongbuk District Council expressed support, saying, “I hope you will represent Seongbuk District’s children and youth by voicing diverse opinions through mock legislative activities.”