Lee Soo-hee: "Traffic and safety are the top priorities"
'Gangdong I-Park The River' opens on the 17th of this month
IKEA, E-Mart, and Musinsa open their first Seoul stores
"We will focus primarily on traffic, parking, and safety measures to closely manage the site. We urge companies and related parties to take their heavy responsibilities seriously and make every possible effort."
On the afternoon of the 8th, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, held a 'Comprehensive Countermeasure Meeting for the Opening of Gangdong I-Park The River' at Godeok Biz Valley. 'Gangdong I-Park The River' is a retail facility located within Godeok Biz Valley, consisting of 21 above-ground floors and a total floor area of 301,337㎡ (91,154 pyeong).
Lee Soo-hee, Mayor of Gangdong-gu (center), presiding over the 'Comprehensive Countermeasure Meeting in Preparation for the Opening of Gangdong I-Park The River.' Provided by Gangdong-gu.
Opening on the 17th of this month, this location will house IKEA and E-Mart, both opening for the first time in Seoul, CGV, Musinsa, office facilities, as well as premium fitness centers and swimming pools operated by Vant.
With the unprecedented large-scale complex facility being established in Gangdong, District Mayor Lee Soo-hee held the comprehensive countermeasure meeting on this day and conducted on-site inspections to prepare for the initial surge of visitors (open run). More than 20 district office executives and representatives from Gangdong Police Station, Gangdong Fire Station, SH Corporation, JK Mirae, IKEA, KTS Engineering, and other related organizations attended the meeting.
During the approximately one-hour meeting, Mayor Lee urged that measures be taken to prevent inconvenience to local residents and that continuous situation management be maintained to ensure the safety of visitors using the complex facility. In this regard, the district discussed inducing preemptive detours through navigation guidance during traffic congestion, deploying traffic signal personnel at major intersections within Godeok Biz Valley, and alleviating traffic concentration by guiding vehicle detours and temporary parking lots.
Earlier, anticipating large-scale traffic demand after companies began full-scale relocation to Godeok Biz Valley, the district formed a dedicated traffic countermeasure task force (TF) in May last year to respond to traffic conditions in Godeok Biz Valley. In consultation with SH Corporation and the project implementers, 950 temporary parking spaces were secured, and a plan was incorporated to utilize approximately 384 parking spaces in adjacent office facilities when the temporary parking lots are full.
To prepare for the Gangdong I-Park The River open run, efficient operation plans for lanes and intersections were reviewed, and countermeasures were established through coordination with related organizations.
Regarding public transportation expansion, one city bus route and three village bus routes have already been deployed, and the district plans to continuously request Seoul City to increase and establish new bus services to minimize inconvenience caused by increased bus usage demand.
Additionally, the district reviewed the facility manager’s safety management manual and conducted on-site pre-inspections to prepare for crowd congestion during the initial opening. In case of crowding, additional safety personnel will be deployed, queues will be organized, and announcement broadcasts will be made to prevent crowd-related accidents.
From the 17th of this month until May 6th, the district will operate a 'Mobile Disaster Safety Comprehensive Situation Room' to manage real-time crowd situations. Especially during the first week of opening and the early May holidays, intensive inspections will be conducted using the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s crowd management support system to monitor crowd density and prevent safety accidents inside and outside the stores.
Furthermore, to improve the surrounding environment, the district plans to actively minimize resident inconveniences by organizing nearby construction site debris and advertisements and establishing comprehensive cleaning measures against illegal dumping.
District Mayor Lee Soo-hee stated, "Gangdong I-Park The River within Godeok Biz Valley is expected to become a new landmark that contributes not only as a commercial facility but also to the development of Godeok Biz Valley and the revitalization of the local economy." Mayor Lee added, "We will meticulously manage everything to ensure that local residents do not experience any inconvenience and that visitors can enjoy their time comfortably and safely."
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