[Interview] Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu: "Operation of Mapo Circular Train Bus Will Revitalize Mapo Alley Markets"

'Mapo Circulation Train Bus'
A Specialized Project Unique to Mapo-gu Connecting 11 Major Commercial Districts and Tourist Attractions
Launched to Revitalize Alleyway Commerce... Service Began on January 25

"For Mapo-gu to continue being loved and to develop, visitors need to be spread out to every hidden alley throughout Mapo-gu, letting people know that 'Mapo-gu has unique charm in every place.' To achieve this, we are operating the 'Mapo Circulation Train Bus' this year."

Park Kang-su, the Mayor of Mapo-gu, stated the significance of operating the 'Mapo Circulation Train Bus,' which started running on the afternoon of the 25th of last month at Red Road R2, during an interview.

The 'Mapo Circulation Train Bus' is a specialized project unique to Mapo-gu that connects 11 major commercial districts and tourist attractions in Mapo-gu, designed to revitalize alleyway commercial areas. Mayor Park Kang-su said, "With the belief that 'good roads revive the economy,' we created the 'Mapo Circulation Train Bus' connecting the 11 major commercial districts and attractions in Mapo-gu. We will operate it well so that every place the bus passes becomes a hot spot, revitalizing alleyway commerce and spreading smiles among people."

The Mapo Circulation Train Bus is a circular city tour bus that passes through major tourist attraction stops and 11 major commercial districts in Mapo-gu. It is made with 16 seats, allowing access to hidden gems in the alleys of Mapo-gu that are unreachable by public transportation, which is a unique advantage of the Mapo Circulation Train Bus. The 11 major commercial districts in Mapo include Ahyeon Market, Dohwa Flower Road, Yonggang Matgil, Yeomni-Daehung Forest Road, Red Road, Sky Road, Sangam Matgil, Yeonnam Kkirikkiri Road, Mangwon World Cup Market and Bangulnae Road, Mangwon Market and Mangridan-gil, and Seongsan Cultural Road.

Unlike existing city tour buses that mainly operate on large roads in the city center, this bus operates on a route connecting famous alley attractions such as Red Road, Gyeongui Line Forest Road, Mangridan-gil, Dohwa Seagull Alley, Mapo Yonggang Matgil, and major healing spots in Mapo-gu like World Cup Park and Mangwon Hangang Park.

Additionally, places difficult to reach by public transportation such as Mapo Pet Camping Site, Nanji Camping Site, Sky Park, and Gyeongui Line Forest Road can be reached in one trip by the Mapo Circulation Train Bus, making it popular among residents. The main stops on the route include R2 (Hongdae Walking Street) → Gyeongui Line Forest Park (Hongdae Entrance Station Exit 3) → Gyeongui Line Forest Park (Yeonnam-dong) → Mangwon & World Cup Market (Mangridan-gil) → Mangwon Hangang Park (Seoul Ship Park) → Seoul World Cup Stadium (Mapo Agricultural and Marine Products Market) → Sky Park → Nanjicheon Park → Nanji Camping Site → Mapo Pet Camping Site → Sky Road → Mapo Saebit Cultural Forest → Mapo Yonggang Matgil → Dohwa Seagull Alley (Gongdeok Station Exit 9) → Gyeongui Line Forest Park → R6 (Red Road Plaza) → R4 (Hongdae Festival Street), totaling 17 stops.

Tickets for the Mapo Circulation Train Bus can be purchased at the Red Road R2 Tourist Information Center ticket booth, or online via the Mapo Circulation Train Bus app. Tickets can also be bought at kiosks located at R2 and Dohwa Seagull Alley (Gongdeok Station Exit 9) stops, or directly on the bus using card payment terminals. Mayor Park Kang-su said, "If the Mapo Circulation Train Bus creates a tourism synergy effect by connecting each specialized street and alley commercial district, Mapo-gu as a whole can be loved as a tourist destination without the fleeting popularity of specific areas suddenly rising and fading."

In addition to the Mapo Circulation Train Bus, the district is developing the Mapo Circulation Train Bus app (Mapo Navi app) to revitalize the 11 commercial districts in Mapo-gu. This app will comprehensively promote the features of Mapo-gu’s specialized streets filled with things to enjoy 365 days a year, including information and reservations for the bus, commercial facilities such as small business restaurants and coffee shops located in specialized streets, major tourist information, and walking navigation.

The bus is scheduled for a two-month pilot operation from February to April this year. It is expected that the operation of the Mapo Circulation Train Bus will improve the convenience of movement for tourists visiting Mapo-gu and revitalize local tourism and the alley economy. Mayor Park Kang-su said, "If the Mapo Circulation Train Bus, which plays the role of the capillaries of Mapo tourism, is successfully established, tourists concentrated in specific areas will spread throughout Mapo, turning the entire Mapo-gu into a tourism resource, stimulating consumption, and creating many tourism-related jobs."