Three-term district mayor advances key policies first pursued in 7th and 8th elected terms
Seventy pledges across seven policy areas move forward with input from 35-member residents' evaluation panel
Jungnang-gu District Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi, serving his third consecutive term, has unveiled an ambitious set of plans to mark the 100th day of the ninth elected-term administration.
Building on policies pursued through his seventh and eighth terms, Ryu has finalized 70 campaign pledges across seven policy areas under the banner of completing what he calls the "Great Leap Forward for Jungnang," with residents playing a direct role in refining the implementation plans.
In July, the district reviewed its pledge projects through the Jungnang Donghang Vision Committee, gathering 75 improvement suggestions and recommendations. Each department then assessed the feasibility of detailed implementation plans before the final list of 70 pledges was confirmed.
The ninth-term pledges are organized under the district's governing goals of becoming "the finest education city, a self-sustaining city of growth, and a city where everyone is happy through culture and welfare." They span seven areas: education; economic development and urban development; transportation; residential environment; culture; welfare; and walkability.
In education, the district plans to raise school education support funding to the highest level among Seoul's autonomous districts and to build an astronomy science museum and the Sagajeong Library to expand educational infrastructure. It will also improve childcare facility environments, support indoor playgrounds and toy libraries, and strengthen maternal and child health services covering pregnancy, childbirth and child-rearing to create a more family-friendly community.
In economic development and urban development, the district will pursue the relocation of Seoul Housing & Communities Corp. headquarters to Sinnae-dong, the integrated redevelopment of the Myenmok Administrative Complex Town, and the construction of a multimodal transit hub at GTX Sangbong Station. Plans also include establishing a fashion industry cluster in the Yangwon district, a startup support center, and relocating the Sinnae vehicle depot to expand the foundation for youth entrepreneurship and employment. The district will further strengthen the local economy by revitalizing the fashion and garment industry, traditional markets and alley-type shopping streets.
In transportation and residential environment, the district will push for ground-breaking on the Myenmok Line light rail and completion of the GTX-B line, while improving traffic flow through the undergrounding of the Eastern Arterial Road and easing congestion around the Sinnae interchange. It will support 27 ongoing housing development projects covering approximately 40,000 households, as well as reconstruction of the Sinnae District 1 residential site. Streetscape and living infrastructure improvements will include undergrounding utility lines along Dongil-ro, greenbelt maintenance along Myenmokcheon-ro, and expanding community facilities and public parking lots.
In culture, the district plans to develop cultural arts centers within the Seoul Housing & Communities Corp. headquarters site and the Myenmok Administrative Complex Town, and to build a cultural convention complex in Sangbong District 9. It will also expand community sports facilities, including a culture and sports complex on the Myenmok retention basin site and the former Jungnang Police Station site, and multipurpose sports centers in Myenmok and Mangwoo. Additional leisure and cultural spaces will include an 18-hole park golf course along Jungnangcheon Stream, a suspension bridge over the stream, and activation of the Bonghwasan Onggi Culture Yard.
In welfare, the district aims to reach 100,000 participants in the Jungnang Donghang Sarangnet community welfare network, strengthening resident-led welfare while expanding senior employment programs and senior center support. It will also build a multipurpose facility within Dongjin School, a second Jungnang Youth Culture and Arts Creation Center, and senior rest spaces to provide generation-tailored welfare facilities. Community engagement will be promoted through the district mayor's neighborhood walkabout program and the construction of a multipurpose complex administrative building.
In walkability, the district will work to establish Mangwoo History and Culture Park as a landmark destination and seek its designation as a national urban park, pursue designation of the Jungnangcheon area as a regional garden, and develop a premium walking trail that circles the entire district. It also plans to improve pedestrian-unfriendly sections and upgrade key nodes including Mangwoo History and Culture Park and Mukdongcheon Stream to create a safer and more convenient walking environment for residents.
To review the pledge implementation plans from a residents' perspective, the district formed a residents' pledge evaluation panel. Working through the Korea Manifesto Practice Headquarters, 35 panel members aged 18 and older were randomly selected from Jungnang-gu residents via automated response system and telephone interviews, with consideration given to gender, age and geographic distribution. At its first meeting Wednesday, the panel received an orientation on the manifesto movement and its own role, was presented with appointment certificates, and was divided into five working groups for discussion.
The panel will hold its second meeting on Oct. 21, when district departments will present their pledge projects and take questions. At a third meeting on Nov. 4, the panel will review the appropriateness of proposed pledge adjustments and draw up recommendations for improving the implementation plans. The district will incorporate the panel's input into the plans, and both the adjustments and recommendations will be published on the district office website in December.
"Over the past 100 days since the launch of the ninth elected term, I have been meeting residents in the field and attending to the district's many pressing issues," Ryu said. "Everyone in the district office is contributing from their own position as we work to bring about change, one step at a time, in areas directly tied to residents' lives — housing development and urban infrastructure, as well as welfare and education." He added, "Going forward, I will continue to listen carefully to residents' voices, faithfully fulfill the promises made to them, and push ahead without delay on the projects needed so that residents can feel the change in their daily lives."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
