Songpa-gu to Hold Commemoration Ceremony on the 23rd at Olympic Park Peace Gate Plaza in Connection with This Year's Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival; Kim Young-gwan Patriotic Activist Receives Resident Award... 13 Individuals and 2 Groups Honored with Resident Awards
Songpa District Resident Award Kim Young-kwan Patriot Proxy Recipient (Lee Gap-pyo, President of the Gwangbokhoe Songpa District Branch)
Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) held the 32nd ‘Songpa Residents' Day’ ceremony on the 23rd at the Peace Gate Plaza in Olympic Park.
‘Songpa Residents' Day’ is commemorated every year on September 17, the opening day of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, through an ordinance to symbolize Songpa, the city that hosted the Olympics. This year marks the 32nd anniversary since 1992.
To avoid the hassle of event preparation and budget waste, the district held the ceremony this year by utilizing the stage of ‘Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival,’ Songpa-gu’s representative festival.
The ceremony, held at 3 p.m. on the second day of the festival, was attended by recipients of the Songpa Residents' Award and about 500 residents.
At the event, Mayor Seo Gang-seok said, “At last year’s Songpa Residents' Day ceremony, as the newly inaugurated mayor, I made several promises to the residents. Now, one year later, the vision of Songpa I spoke of is becoming a reality.”
He then highlighted major changes such as ▲ enhancing the city brand value by creating a premium street on Songpa-daero ▲ rapid promotion of redevelopment and reconstruction ▲ operation of native English-speaking classrooms in daycare centers and kindergartens ▲ expansion of village bus routes ▲ strengthening safety infrastructure including CCTV expansion ▲ increasing opportunities to enjoy culture and arts ▲ and expanding sports facilities for daily life.
In particular, Mayor Seo said, “Unlike the central government, local administration, which handles daily life administration, believes that ‘the best administration is the best politics.’ The servant leadership of Songpa, which truly serves its residents as owners, will continue unwaveringly.” He also expressed gratitude, saying, “Our society has developed thanks to those who have quietly fulfilled their duties and devoted themselves. The recipients of the Songpa Residents' Award today are exactly such people.”
This year, 15 individuals and groups were selected for the Songpa Residents' Award across eight categories: filial piety, volunteer work, exemplary youth, resident harmony, education, culture and sports, regional economic revitalization, and civic organizations.
The Grand Resident Award was given to patriot Kim Young-gwan (99). The district explained the selection background, stating that as a member of the Liberation Army who devoted himself to the independence movement and served in the Korean War, he contributed to the development of the Republic of Korea throughout his life as a public official. He is also one of the nine surviving patriots who strive to foster the spirit of patriotism among Songpa residents.
Additionally, Yumi-soon, who has cared for her 91-year-old mother-in-law for over 40 years; Lee Jeom-seon and Kim Hong-je, who work to activate resident autonomy and promote harmony among residents; the Songpa Model Drivers Association, which strives to make Songpa free of traffic accidents; and the Songpa Pharmaceutical Association, which consistently practices sharing with vulnerable groups in the community, were honored with awards.
Mayor Seo Gang-seok of Songpa-gu said, “I am grateful that the residents of Songpa place great trust in the Songpa administration, which is working hard and achieving results based on the three core values of creativity, innovation, and fairness.” He added, “We will continue to respond to the expectations of our sovereign residents with utmost dedication and humility.”
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