Dongjak-gu braces for policy overhaul as incoming district mayor moves to undo predecessor's agenda

Dongjak-gu is heading into turbulent territory as its incoming district mayor moves to roll back the signature projects of his predecessor.

Ryu Sam-young, the mayor-elect of Dongjak-gu, has asked the district office to conduct a full review of two flagship initiatives championed under the eighth elected administration: a Han River waterfront development project in Heukseok-dong and the construction of an art space.

On June 22, Ryu visited both project sites in Heukseok-dong and asked the departments in charge to restart the public consultation process, saying it needed to be verified whether the planned facilities truly reflect what the majority of residents want.

Some say the move reflects Ryu's governing philosophy, which places resident-driven development at its core.

In November 2024, Dongjak-gu announced plans to develop a 7,910-square-meter site at 2-26 Heukseok-dong into a Han River waterfront complex featuring what it described as the world's largest movie theater, luxury apartments and world-class restaurants.

Ryu, however, had campaigned on a different vision for the same area during the ninth nationwide local elections. He pledged to relocate the Heukseok stormwater pumping station to the riverbank and use the vacated site to build an underground public parking lot, an above-ground park and a literary museum dedicated to writer Sim Hun.

The art space is an exhibition facility — spanning two below-ground floors to one above-ground floor and standing 30 meters tall — that Dongjak-gu was set to receive as a public contribution through the Heukseok District 11 housing redevelopment project at 38-58 Heukseok-dong.

In April, the district held a design presentation at the main auditorium on the fourth floor of the Dongjak-gu office, inviting Swiss architect Emmanuel Christ, who participated in the design, to unveil the art space concept to the public.

With Ryu now calling for a fresh check on whether residents' views were properly reflected, the eighth administration's plans for both projects appear set for revision.

Meanwhile, Dongjak-gu had long been regarded as one of the Seoul Metropolitan Government districts that technical-track civil servants were reluctant to be assigned to.

Against that backdrop, the district's civil servants look set for another difficult stretch under the ninth administration, just as they had under the eighth.