Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, Accelerates Efforts to Revive 'People' and 'Alleyway Commercial Districts'

Mapo Circular Train Bus Launches on the Afternoon of the 25th
‘Filial Piety Meal’ Service for Seniors in Operation
Ranked First in Seoul’s 2023 Happiness Index

The economy of ordinary people is very difficult. Especially, voices are heard that the neighborhood commercial districts are struggling more than ever.

Amid this, Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, came up with a unique idea to revitalize popular neighborhood commercial areas such as Hongdae Red Road, Yeonnam-dong Kkirikkiri-gil, Mangwon & World Cup Market, Mangwon Hangang Park, Mapo Agricultural and Marine Products Market, Sky Park, Nanji Stream Park (Park Chung-hee Presidential Memorial Hall), Nanji Camping Site, and Mapo Pet Camping Site.

It is the ‘Mapo Circular Train Bus’ which had its unveiling ceremony on the 25th at Hongdae Red Road R2 (Busking Street) and started operation.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, said, “With the idea that ‘the road must be good for the economy to revive,’ we created the ‘Mapo Circular Train Bus’ connecting 11 major commercial districts and attractions in Mapo-gu. We will operate it well so that every place the bus passes becomes a hot place, revitalizing neighborhood commercial districts and spreading smiles among people.”

This project is a major pledge of Mayor Park’s 8th term and was promoted to activate neighborhood commercial districts by connecting major tourist attractions and 11 major commercial districts in Mapo-gu and to resolve blind spots in public transportation usage.

The ‘train bus’ was designed to resemble a steam locomotive, producing images of the chimney, steam, and whistle sounds. It is also an eco-friendly electric vehicle that uniquely expresses Kkaebi and Kkaesoon, the characters of ‘Red Road.’ The train bus operates as a tourist circular bus connecting major tourist spots in Mapo-gu, with a one-day unlimited ride and transfer available for adults at 5,500 KRW per person.

Starting from ‘Red Road,’ passengers can use 17 stops including Mangwon Market, Sky Road, Dohwa Seagull Alley, and more. The train bus travels around neighborhood commercial districts, allowing visitors to explore hidden restaurants and unique spaces.

In particular, local hotels and travel-related associations have signed MOUs to promote the ‘train bus’ and foster mutual cooperation for the revitalization of tourism and the economy in Mapo-gu.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, stated, “The Mapo Circular Train Bus is not just a means of transportation but a project that connects 11 major commercial districts, offering diverse attractions 365 days a year and revitalizing local commercial areas. I hope that every stop along the route will grow into a popular hot place by linking Mapo’s tourist spots and the 11 major commercial districts.”

Mayor Park showed his capability by creating the ‘Red Road’ idea product to revive the dying Hongdae commercial district during the COVID-19 period, making it the most visited place by foreigners in Seoul.

He continued efforts to revitalize alleys such as Kkirikkiri-gil and Sky Road, and even created historically significant areas like ‘Kim Dae-jung Road,’ turning various parts of Mapo into notable attractions.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, participated in the opening ceremony of Hyo-do Bapsang Seogang-dong Branch No. 1 to encourage the elderly.

Nation’s First ‘Filial Piety Meal’ in the 8th Term to Care for Health of Seniors Aged 75 and Over Becomes a National Model

Along with this, Mayor Park has received positive evaluations for creating the nation’s first ‘Filial Piety Meal’ during the 8th term to care for the health of elderly citizens.

Mapo-gu provides daily nutritious lunch meals to seniors aged 75 and over, along with health checks for diabetes, blood pressure, and support for legal and tax consultations. It also promotes a one-stop integrated care service called ‘Resident Participation Filial Piety Meal’ that prevents solitary deaths through welfare checks, marking a significant advancement in elderly welfare.

This year, Mapo-gu operates 45 Filial Piety Meal locations, providing daily lunches to 1,200 seniors. By next year, the plan is to provide lunch meals to 4,000 seniors annually.

In recognition of these efforts, Mayor Park received the ‘Senior Welfare Award’ at the 28th Senior Citizens’ Day ceremony held by the Korea Senior Citizens Association on October 2, Senior Citizens’ Day.

Because of this, Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, is even regarded as a ‘life-saving mayor.’

Mayor Park Resolves Unregistered Ownership Issue of Ahyeon-dong Gongdeok Xi for 8 Years... Enables Exercise of Property Rights Worth 1.56 Trillion KRW

Mayor Park also played a key role as a ‘problem solver’ by resolving a major civil complaint for residents of Gongdeok-dong who had suffered for a long time.

The district dramatically resolved the unregistered ownership issue of the Gongdeok Xi Apartment in Ahyeon-dong (Ahyeon 4th District Housing Redevelopment Project), which had been ongoing for 8 years.

The district announced that two landowners who were in litigation with the Ahyeon 4th District Housing Redevelopment Project Association withdrew their lawsuits and signed an ‘Agreement to Resolve Gongdeok Xi Unregistered Ownership’ with the association on November 8 last year.

Although the Ahyeon 4th District was designated as a redevelopment zone in 2006 and construction was completed with approval in 2015, the transfer notification had not been issued due to lawsuits between the association and landowners.

The prolonged delay of the transfer notification for 8 years caused great difficulties for the owners of 1,164 households in Gongdeok Xi Apartment to exercise property rights worth approximately 1.56 trillion KRW. Mapo-gu judged that this could not be simply regarded as a legal issue between the association and residents and took direct action to resolve the problem.

Mapo-gu Achieves 1st Place in 2023 Seoul Survey Happiness Index

According to the 2023 Seoul Survey conducted by Seoul City, Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) ranked first in happiness index among the 25 autonomous districts of Seoul. This is especially notable as Mapo-gu ranked 10th, a mid-level position, in 2022, marking a remarkable change within one year.

In this regard, Mapo-gu has promoted innovative policies such as ▲365-day open public sports facilities ▲pedestrian path projects like Hongdae Red Road and World Cupcheon-ro Metasequoia Road ▲disability-inclusive policies like ‘Anyone’s Cultural Creation Center,’ ‘Anyone’s Sports Center,’ and the ‘Look at People’ festival ▲‘Sunlight Center’ and ‘Cheokkeut Center’ supporting pregnancy preparation, childbirth, and childcare ▲‘Filial Piety Meal’ and ‘Filial Piety Lodging Senior Centers’ for elderly care.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, said, “There is no achievement more valuable than a city where residents are happy. I am truly pleased that the efforts of Mapo-gu, running 365 days a year with the belief that ‘public officials must be busy and hardworking for residents to be happy,’ have not been in vain.”