'Seoripul Festival'... Seocho-gu's Top 10 News No.1

Nationwide First: Large Mart Mandatory Holiday Shifted to Weekdays Gains Popularity

Seocho District, Seoul (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) announced on the 22nd that the ‘2024 Seocho Top 10 News’ selected directly by the residents ranked ‘2024 Seoripul Festival’ including ‘Seocho Seasonal and Thematic Festivals’ as number one. The district conducted an online vote from the 29th of last month to the 14th of this month on the projects that resonated most and were most loved by the residents throughout 2024, and announced the results.

'2024 Seoripul Festival' scene. Provided by Seocho-gu.

The ‘2024 Seoripul Festival,’ which has established itself as a high-quality music festival representing the district, was held on September 28-29 under the theme ‘Seocho is the Music A-Z (Everything about Music),’ offering 200,000 citizens a variety of sights and entertainment, heating up the 10-lane Banpo-daero. Additionally, seasonal and thematic festivals such as the ‘Spring Night Classical Festival’ held in April at Bangbae Dwitbeol Children’s Park and the ‘Seocho Music and Art Festival’ held in June at the Express Bus Terminal Plaza were continuously held throughout the district, providing residents with high-quality musical gifts all year round and elevating the status of Seocho as a cultural and artistic city, which earned the most votes.

Ranked second was the ‘Mandatory Closure Day for Large Mart Changed to Weekdays & Removal of Operating Hours Restrictions.’ Seocho District attracted great attention by becoming the first in Seoul to change the mandatory closure day for large marts to weekdays on the 1st and, nationwide, the first to ease operating hour restrictions. Seocho’s ‘Mandatory Closure Day Change to Weekdays for Large Marts’ is spreading to other local governments, with some considering switching to weekdays, serving as a nationwide signal for deregulation. Furthermore, it was evaluated as opening the way for early morning delivery by allowing large marts to operate except for one hour from 2 to 3 a.m., a first nationwide.

Third place went to the ‘Completion of Seocho Happiness Road (Seohaeng-gil) Circular Course.’ ‘Seohaeng-gil,’ an abbreviation of Seocho Happiness Road, is a walking path brand of Seocho District with a double meaning of ‘happiness’ and ‘walking slowly.’ The district created five circular courses and extension courses containing various sights, entertainment, and stories around Seohaeng-gil so that residents can enjoy a pleasant urban environment and beautiful nature. A location-based (GPS) service through the ‘Seocho Smart City’ app is also operated to help residents easily find the courses by looking at the map.

The ‘Umyunsan Barrier-Free Forest Trail Project’ ranked fourth. The Umyunsan Barrier-Free Forest Trail is an eco-friendly healing forest trail with gentle slopes that anyone can easily use while minimizing forest damage by making maximum use of existing walking paths and trails. It also won the Gold Award in the eco-friendly category at the Green Apple Awards held last month in London, UK.

Also, news that about 400,000㎡ of the Yangjae and Umyun areas were designated as the ‘Yangjae AI Future Convergence Innovation Special Zone’ was selected as fifth. Seocho’s ‘Yangjae AI Future Convergence Innovation Special Zone’ is the first nationwide case designated as a regional specialized development zone in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).

Umyunsan Barrier-Free Forest Trail. Provided by Seocho-gu.

▲ Sixth place was Seoul’s only ‘Local Brand Double Commercial District Designation’ ▲ Seventh was the nationwide first full implementation of the ‘Digital Civil Service Office’ ▲ Eighth was the introduction of the nation’s first state-of-the-art complex sound system at Seocho Culture and Arts Center ▲ Ninth was the nationwide first designation of a 10-meter no-smoking zone around children’s parks ▲ Tenth was the opening of the integrated generation Seocho Senior Lounge and the cultural leisure oasis Banpo Nutina Tree Rest Area, respectively.

Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho District, said, “I deeply appreciate the empathy and interest of the residents in the various projects that have been promoted together with about 1,900 fellow public officials throughout this year,” adding, “In 2025, we will continue to listen to the voices of the residents and reflect them in various policies so that living in Seocho can be a source of pride.”