Moon Jong-chul, Democratic Party candidate for Gwangjin-gu district mayor: 'Government, city and district must work as one'

Moon Jong-chul, the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate for Gwangjin-gu district mayor in Seoul, said Sunday that urban development is residents' longest-standing wish and pledged to establish a "Reconstruction and Redevelopment Rapid Task Force" as his first official act if elected. He also said he would pursue zoning upgrades around Achasan and Children's Grand Park.

"Gwangjin-gu's development will gain real momentum only when President Lee Jae Myung, ruling-party lawmakers and Seoul mayoral candidate Jeong Won-o all work together as one team," Moon said. The Herald Business sat down with Moon for the following interview.

— What is the most urgent challenge facing Gwangjin-gu?

Urban development is what residents have wanted for years. Gwangjin is the last district along the Han River that has failed to keep pace with the rest of Seoul's transformation. Despite strong natural and educational assets — the Han River, Achasan, Children's Grand Park, Konkuk University, Sejong University and Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary — development has been severely constrained by regulations. If elected, my first act will be to establish a district mayor-led "Rapid Support Team" for redevelopment and reconstruction to push projects forward as quickly as possible, alongside a residents' communication committee. I will also work to minimize residents' financial burden so that long-time community members can continue to live here.

— How would you assess the four years of incumbent District Mayor Kim Gyeong-ho?

Residents' long-awaited projects are still going nowhere. It is time to end administration that ignores residents' voices and administration that is all talk with nothing to show for it. Across Seoul, rising interest rates and soaring construction costs have left redevelopment zones stalled even after regulations were eased, with ground-breaking and pre-sales failing to materialize. Even foreseeable issues — like the fate of the old district office site — were not handled properly. After the district office relocated to a new building in 2025, the old site was simply left vacant. As a public asset, it should have been planned for in advance to create facilities residents actually want. The same applies to the site of the closed Hwahyang Elementary School and the Korea Electric Power Corp. site in Junggok-dong. I will raise the utilization of idle public land to build cultural, sports and multipurpose facilities that include libraries, swimming pools, gymnasiums and community centers.

— What is your plan for accelerating redevelopment projects?

District-level projects are subject to many external variables, but a capable ruling party working as one team can push them forward more smoothly. I will make listening to residents' voices the top priority throughout every project. I will review zoning upgrades around Children's Grand Park and Achasan to revitalize aging residential areas. To prevent speculation-driven misinformation from stoking conflict among residents, I will establish a permanent district-run "Redevelopment Residents' School." I will also work with Seoul mayoral candidate Jeong Won-o to transfer to the district the authority to designate redevelopment projects of fewer than 500 units, and I will fulfill my campaign pledge to cut the redevelopment timeline to within 10 years.

— One of your campaign pledges calls for creating brand-name streets and revitalizing commercial districts to bring prosperity to Gwangjin. What is your specific plan?

I will build a vibrant city that draws people in by developing a "food and youth" commercial corridor linking Han River Park, Konkuk University Station, Hwahyang-dong and Seongsu; revitalizing commercial areas near Achasan and Children's Grand Park; and creating Gwangjin-style brand streets — Guui-dong's Migaro, Konkuk University's Food Street and Neungdong's Food Street. To that end, I will first draw up a commercial district analysis plan and form a public-private-landlord consultative body to help the local economy come back to life.

— The modernization of Dong Seoul Bus Terminal is a major issue. What role would the district mayor play?

The Dong Seoul Terminal modernization project is a core issue that would make Gwangjin the hub of northeastern Seoul, so it needs to move quickly. In this project, the district mayor's most important role is to serve as a coordinator between the project principals — the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Shinsegae Property — and local residents. Between October 2022 and September 2023, five rounds of a negotiation and coordination council were held involving the city, the developer and district officials, and a plan was announced to build a temporary terminal in Guui Park to facilitate the modernization work. However, after a district-unit plan was put out for public review in June 2024, nearby residents who learned of the details objected, saying Guui Park is a community rest area and a school commute route for children. The district office scrambled to contain the fallout only after the fact. Listening to residents before pushing ahead with projects that directly affect their daily lives is a basic principle of good governance. Had the developer been asked to find an alternative after consulting residents, there would have been neither conflict nor delay. If I become district mayor, listening to residents will always come first.

— Is there anything else you would like to say to voters?

Development projects and the many other pressing local issues cannot be solved by the district mayor alone. Only by working in sync — President Lee Jae Myung's administration, Gwangjin-gu's Democratic Party lawmakers Ko Min-jung and Lee Jeong-heon, Seoul mayoral candidate Jeong Won-o and myself — as a single team to secure national, city and district funding can we deliver on what Gwangjin residents have long been waiting for. The ruling party must work as one for Gwangjin's development to truly accelerate.