Announcement of City Administration Direction at Press Conference on the 21st
Emphasis on "Bucheon Strong in Basics"
Major Transformation with Projects Enhancing Competitiveness, Vitality, and Attractiveness as Core Driving Forces
Bucheon Mayor Jo Yong-ik emphasized, "We will advance Bucheon's great transformation by adopting Bucheon-style basic social policies that guarantee citizens' fundamental lives and by making projects that enhance the city's competitiveness, vitality, and attractiveness the core driving forces."
On the 21st, Mayor Jo held a press conference announcing the city administration's direction with the concepts of 'basic society' and 'core driving forces.' He explained Bucheon-style basic social policies to be implemented in areas closely related to citizens' lives, such as care, education, transportation, housing, and income. Additionally, he introduced major projects that will transform Bucheon, including innovative spatial restructuring, attracting companies and creating advanced industrial complexes, and year-round attractions, presenting a vision for the future.
He stated, "We will continue to promote the Bucheon-style Smart An(jeon)Bu(cheon) system, recognized as a model case of community-based welfare," adding, "We will steadily develop detailed projects such as Onstore and the SmartOn Bucheon app, which constitute this system, to build a more comprehensive welfare safety net." He also added, "With the Bucheon On(Warm) Heart Fund debuting this year, we will systematically manage various sponsorship funds to promote a culture of giving."
Mayor Jo Yong-ik of Bucheon is holding a New Year's press conference on the 21st, announcing the city's administrative direction and vision. Photo by Bucheon City
Furthermore, through Bucheon Municipal Geriatric Hospital, the first dementia-safe hospital in Gyeonggi Province, professional diagnosis and customized treatment will be provided integrally, and a visiting early dementia screening project for citizens aged 60 and over will be promoted to create a city free from dementia worries.
Bucheon City will also introduce new programs to reduce educational expenses, such as entrance preparation funds for elementary school students and the Bucheon-Learn online education project for middle and high school students. A metropolitan demand-responsive transport (DRT) bus route operating from Beombak and Okgil-dong to major Seoul Gangnam area transportation hubs like Sadang and Yangjae stations is scheduled to begin operation in July this year.
Mayor Jo said, "Through the Bucheon Cultural Residence project, which is about to officially launch, we will support artists' housing stability and creative activities, and promote support for youth housing costs and rental deposit return guarantee fees for all age groups." In addition, he plans to guarantee young people's social basic rights and cultural life through youth basic income and youth culture and arts passes, and continue providing opportunity income for artists.
Mayor Jo emphasized that, in addition to Bucheon-style basic social policies, he will make the city's 'competitiveness,' 'vitality,' and 'attractiveness' the core driving forces to accelerate Bucheon's great transformation. He said, "We will steadily promote public housing projects including Bucheon Daejang New Town, the redevelopment of Jungdong 1st New Town, and the old town, creating a balanced and high-quality residential environment throughout the city," adding, "We will enhance Bucheon's future competitiveness through innovative spatial restructuring."
Bucheon City will successfully conclude the 2025 Asia Federation of Cultural and Performing Arts (FACP) General Assembly held at Bucheon Art Center in October, and the Webtoon Convergence Center will continue to secure future revenue by utilizing popular intellectual properties (IP), strengthening the competitiveness of the cultural industry. The city will also open new youth spaces equipped with cultural and communication facilities and focus on supporting future generations by promoting youth employment policies.
Mayor Jo revealed his determination, saying, "We have passed the review of the Special Purpose High School Designation and Operation Committee of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, the second gateway toward establishing a science high school," and added, "We will do our best until the final acquisition."
Bucheon City plans to attract advanced industries and companies and strengthen the regional economic base to increase 'vitality.' Mayor Jo said, "On the 10th, we signed an investment and occupancy agreement with DN Solutions, a global top 3 machine tool manufacturing specialist," and expressed expectations that "Together with SK Green Techno Campus, Bucheon Daejang will serve as a forward base for advanced industrial development."
This year, with the groundbreaking of the Metropolitan Area Express Railway (GTX)-B and Daejang-Hongdae Line, along with the GTX-D and E lines and a total of nine railway networks, Bucheon will become the top transportation hub in the metropolitan area. This is expected to be a strong incentive attracting excellent talent and leading companies.
Mayor Jo said, "We will also focus on discovering and nurturing innovative startups, including the R&D Comprehensive Center, which will welcome over 80 Gyeonggi startups after opening in the first half of the year, and the operation of the 25 billion KRW Bucheon Venture Fund No. 3," emphasizing, "We will continue to devote ourselves to the successful development of Bucheon Daejang Urban Advanced Industrial Complex and company attraction."
He also said, "To recover the livelihood economy, we will issue Bucheon Pay with a target scale of 200 billion KRW to circulate money in traditional markets, alleyway commercial districts, and various local areas, and support management stability and growth of companies and small business owners facing financial difficulties through special guarantee interest subsidies."
Bucheon City also plans to create a city full of 'attractiveness' throughout the region and all year round. Mayor Jo said, "In October, Bucheon Natural Ecological Park will be transformed into the best nighttime themed space in the metropolitan area with various forest trails full of sights and attractions for everyone," proposing a plan to increase tax revenue through paid services.
Additionally, Mayor Jo stated, "We will cultivate six urban neighborhood parks into summer flower-themed parks featuring hydrangeas and dwarf crape myrtles," and revealed, "We are preparing seasonal festival weeks that highlight the characteristics of each season, including Spring Flower Tourism Week (spring), park water playgrounds (summer), Bucheon Festa Week (autumn), and skating rinks (winter)."
This year, Bucheon City will expand nature-friendly barefoot trails to provide citizens with healthy leisure and rest, and Bucheon Maru Square, Songnae Rainbow Square, and Yeokgok Station South Square will be reborn as citizen spaces full of diverse charm and individuality. The Bucheon Maru Square-Bucheon-ro-Simgokcheon section will be made into a walkable street, and the Sinheung Overpass will be demolished to transform it into a safe and free passage connection space.
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