Gang Dong-gil, Chair of the Urban Safety and Construction Committee, Emphasizes the Importance of Waterside Spaces at the 2024 Water Seoul International Conference

Expecting Help to Solve River Management Issues Facing Seoul, Promising Active Interest and Support

Kang Dong-gil, Chairman of the Urban Safety and Construction Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Council (Seongbuk 3, Democratic Party), attended the '2024 Water Seoul International Conference' held at Seodaemun-gu Office on the 6th and emphasized the importance of creating waterfront sensory urban spaces.

This event, held from September 6 for three days at the Seodaemun-gu Office auditorium and the Hongje Waterfall area, was themed "Climate Change Adaptation, Waterfront Spaces of Urban Sensibility" and consisted of various programs including an international conference, talk concerts, side events, and the Hongje Waterfall experience zone.

In particular, the international conference featured three overseas experts from the United States, the Netherlands, and other countries, along with domestic experts, who discussed policies for improving the water environment through waterfront city development and explored directions for advancing water circulation policies.

In his congratulatory speech, Chairman Kang said, "The importance of waterfront spaces is growing increasingly in the era of climate crisis," and highly praised Seoul's "Waterfront Sensory City Project," stating that it contributes to comprehensive urban development beyond simple landscape improvement, including revitalizing the local economy, cultural development, and enhancing citizens' quality of life.

He also promised, "The wisdom and experience of domestic and international experts gathered here will be of great help in solving challenges faced by Seoul's rivers, such as sustainable river management, improvement of usage regulations, and water resource management," adding, "The council will continue to show interest and provide active support to ensure that the opinions discussed at this conference are well reflected in Seoul's policies."

The event also included citizen participation programs, providing opportunities for direct dialogue with citizens through talk concerts and allowing citizens to experience the importance of waterfront spaces. This is expected to raise public interest in urban water environment improvement and serve as an important milestone for Seoul's development into a sustainable water circulation city.