[Interview] Choi Ho-gwon, Yeongdeungpo District Mayor: "The First Year for Yeongdeungpo's Leap as a New Economy Premium City in the Southwest Region, a 'Young Yeongdeungpo'"

The Power Changing Yeongdeungpo's Future Lies in the Residents, the True Owners of Local Autonomy... "We Will Move Forward with Residents to Create 'Yeongdeungpo,' a New Economic Premium City in the Southwest Region"

Choi Ho-kwon, the mayor of Yeongdeungpo District, has repeatedly emphasized since the beginning of his term that “local autonomy should be a form of community governance that wipes away the tears of residents.”

In an interview on the 22nd, Mayor Choi stated, “This year will be the inaugural year for Yeongdeungpo to leap forward as a ‘New Economic Premium City in the Southwest Area’ and a ‘Young Yeongdeungpo,’ and I will work vigorously together with the residents.”

First, the district is swiftly preparing the “Comprehensive Development Master Plan for the Gyeongbu Line Area.” Mayor Choi said, “When the ‘Special Act on Railroad Undergrounding’ passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 9th, I was more than delighted because the 3.4 km section from Daebang Station to Sindorim Station will be moved underground, laying the foundation for Yeongdeungpo to finally unite as one.”

The district has allocated 350 million won in this year’s budget for the service fee to establish the “Comprehensive Development Master Plan for the Gyeongbu Line Area.”

He also revealed plans to transform the semi-industrial area into a hub for advanced jobs in the 4th industrial revolution and a residential complex with close proximity to workplaces. Mayor Choi said, “The Yeongdeungpo semi-industrial area, which led the Miracle on the Han River during the industrialization era, will be developed into a premium residential complex with close proximity to workplaces where jobs, housing, culture, and green spaces coexist, by easing regulations on semi-industrial areas.”

Along with this, preparations are underway to relocate the Mullae-dong machinery and metal complex, which currently houses about 1,300 factories, as a whole. A research service is currently being conducted for the “feasibility study and basic plan establishment” for the relocation. After the relocation, the site will be transformed into a cutting-edge 4th industrial revolution smart valley by attracting an AI high school, KAIST Seoul Campus, and developing an industry-academia-government cooperation model. Mayor Choi said, “The undergrounding of the Gyeongbu Line railroad, easing of regulations on semi-industrial areas, and the full relocation of the Mullae-dong machinery and metal complex are interconnected large-scale projects. Their synergy effect is so great that the map of Yeongdeungpo will change and open the path for ‘Yeongdeungpo’s next 100 years.’”

Additionally, the redevelopment projects for the Yeongdeungpo Station shantytown and Yeongjin Market are expected to accelerate. The tangled knots of development projects that had been stagnant have also been untied. Representative examples are the redevelopment of the Yeongdeungpo Station shantytown and the Yeongjin Market redevelopment project.

Moreover, a premium residential complex with 35 floors and 1,000 households will be built in Daerim-dong. The frequently flooded area around Daerim-dong 855-1 was selected as a rapid integrated planning target site in January this year, gaining the opportunity to be reborn as a premium residential complex with over 1,000 households and 35 floors above ground.

The Yeongdeungpo District Future Education Foundation, launched in January this year, announced its ambition to make Yeongdeungpo a premium education city by promoting ▲“Nurturing Future Scientific Talent” to lead the 4th industrial revolution ▲“Creating a Premium Lifelong Learning City” to guarantee lifelong learning rights for all residents ▲“Inclusive Education for the Vulnerable” such as seniors and people with developmental disabilities ▲and the “Yeongdeungpo-style Scholarship Program.” Mayor Choi Ho-kwon said, “Two large cultural facilities will be established: the 2nd Sejong Cultural Center in Yeouido Park and the Yeongdeungpo Mullae Arts Center on public land in Mullae-dong. Yeongdeungpo will grow into a mecca of Hallyu culture and lead the era of 30 million tourists,” adding, “I want to be a ‘mayor preparing for the future’ to open the path for Yeongdeungpo’s next 100 years.”