Nowon-gu District Mayor Seo Jun-o visited Gyeongchunmaru, a waterfront cafe perched atop the Gyeongchun Railway Bridge, Wednesday afternoon to conduct a drone-assisted safety inspection of the facility.
Gyeongchunmaru opened July 15 as the district's fourth waterfront cafe, featuring a rooftop observation deck and a replica train car on the old iron bridge. Drawing more than 600 visitors a day on average with attractions including a nighttime musical fountain, it has quickly become a popular local landmark and leisure destination.
The inspection was carried out to reinforce safety ahead of extreme heat, typhoons and other severe weather, as well as rising visitor numbers. Drones captured detailed footage of hard-to-reach areas such as the roof and upper exterior walls, allowing officials to examine the entire structure closely. Since 2021, the district has deployed drones at construction sites and building safety inspections using its own staff rather than outside contractors, building rapid and precise inspection capabilities in-house.
A structural safety inspection conducted last month by certified engineers — which included rebar-detection testing — found no problems with the facility, a finding Wednesday's drone aerial survey confirmed.
The visit extends Mayor Seo's hands-on approach to summer disaster preparedness, which he has maintained throughout the season. With heatwaves, flooding and other summer hazards posing overlapping risks to residents, the district has been conducting wide-ranging on-site checks. Shortly after taking office, Seo visited the Junggye Community Sports Center and the Gwangwoon University transit-oriented development project site on July 2, followed by inspections of aging buildings and senior center cooling shelters in the Sanggye 1 zone on July 3.
On July 14, he swiftly activated an emergency response system to restore power after an apartment blackout, and on July 30 he personally directed emergency operations at the scene of a street tree collapse near Madeu Station. The district has since launched a comprehensive inspection of street trees and park trees to prevent similar incidents.
"The safety of our residents is the top priority — nothing can take its place," Seo said. "We will continue to use advanced equipment and respond quickly on the ground to build a safe Nowon-gu where residents can go about their daily lives with peace of mind."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
