[Interview] Seoul Assembly member Hwang Cheol-gyu

"If the past four years were about producing results, the next four will be about completing Seongdong's future."

Hwang Cheol-gyu, a People Power Party member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council representing Seongdong District 4, won reelection in the June 3 local elections. In a recent interview, he outlined plans to strengthen Seongdong-gu's long-term competitiveness through the redevelopment of the Seongsui Strategic Improvement Zone, neighborhood renewal projects and expanded lifestyle infrastructure.

Hwang said he views his reelection not as a personal endorsement but as residents' verdict on four years of legislative work. He said he has focused on resolving community grievances and securing budgets through on-the-ground engagement, and pledged to keep channeling his energy into delivering changes that residents can feel.

Looking back on his first term, Hwang cited connecting long-standing community priorities to budgets and policy as his most rewarding achievement. Serving as chairman of the Budget and Accounts Special Committee in the latter half of the 11th Seoul Metropolitan Council, he secured about 400 billion won ($258 million) in Seoul city budget allocations for Seongdong-gu. That funding supported projects closely tied to daily life, including the construction of a new Exit 3-1 at Seongsui Station, restroom expansions, pedestrian environment improvements and expanded recreational sports facilities.

He also made headway in education. As vice chairman of the Education Committee, he secured 39.3 billion won for school facility upgrades and 3.7 billion won for daycare center improvements across the district.

On urban planning, he supported the passage of an integrated review for District 4 of the Seongsui Strategic Improvement Zone and laid the groundwork for advancing Districts 1, 2 and 3. He also held ongoing consultations with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to move forward neighborhood renewal projects, including a public development at 265 Eungbong-dong, the approval of a cooperative association for Geumho District 21, and redevelopment candidate designations for Yongdap District 2 and Haengdang District 8.

"Redevelopment and reconstruction are not simply construction projects — they are a process of raising residents' quality of life and the future value of the community," Hwang said. "It is deeply meaningful that projects long stalled are finally beginning to move in earnest."

Hwang named the swift advancement of the Seongsui Strategic Improvement Zone redevelopment as his top priority for the next four years. He plans to work closely with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to accelerate the project, raise the future value of Seongsui-dong and deliver tangible improvements to the residential environment. He also intends to pursue use of the site left after Seongsui Technical High School relocates as a public community facility incorporating cultural, sports and welfare functions.

Easing traffic congestion and parking shortages around Seoul Forest and Seongsui-dong is another key goal. Hwang said Seoul Forest has grown into a nationally recognized destination and visitor numbers have surged, making it essential to improve road and traffic systems and expand parking to reduce inconvenience for residents.

He also plans to use the surface space created after the underground rerouting of the Dongbu Expressway, as well as the Ttukseom flood-retention basin, to expand sports facilities and leisure spaces for residents. He said a sustainable city must go beyond development to ensure both residents and visitors can enjoy convenience, and that the gains from urban growth must translate into a better quality of life for residents.

The development of the Sampyo Ready-Mixed Concrete site and the cultivation of future industries around Seoul Forest were also presented as pivotal projects for Seongdong-gu's future. Hwang said the Sampyo site should be developed into a global future business complex blending cultural, tourism, retail and business functions — a new landmark connecting the potential of Seoul Forest, the Han River and Seongsui-dong. He added that the project is expected to revitalize the local economy and generate quality jobs.

Over the longer term, he proposed improving local transport conditions and securing future growth drivers by pursuing the underground rerouting of the above-ground section of Seoul Subway Line 2 and the creation of new subway branch lines.

He also plans to work actively with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to ensure smooth progress on reconstruction at the Eungbong Hyundai and Daelim apartment complexes, as well as redevelopment and reconstruction projects in the Geumho, Oksu, Haengdang and Yongdap areas — beyond the Seongsui Strategic Improvement Zone alone. Hwang's goal is a Seongdong-gu where urban development, future industry cultivation and residential environment improvements advance in harmony, underpinned by balanced development across all neighborhoods.

Expanding everyday infrastructure is also a priority. Hwang said he will work to establish facilities that make the district a better place to raise children — including a 24-hour children's hospital and a public postpartum care center — and to develop policies addressing the hardships faced by vulnerable residents and those struggling in their daily lives.

"The quality of growth matters as much as its pace," he said. "The fruits of development and future industry cultivation must not remain with only a few — they must lead to a better quality of life for all residents."

He also expressed his ambition to build a Seongdong where everyone can share in the benefits of growth by expanding transport, education, cultural, sports and welfare infrastructure in a balanced way.

"I will scrutinize carefully how taxpayers' money is spent so it goes where it is needed most, and carry out responsible legislative work that connects voices from the field to policy and budgets," he added. "I will do my utmost, without losing sight of my original purpose, to build a greater Seongdong and a better Seoul."