Gangdong-gu chief eyes 'young city' vision, delivery drones and transit upgrades for second term

Gangdong-gu District Mayor Lee Su-hee won re-election in the June 3 local elections and said she will run the district with a focus on making it a "young city" during her second term. Lee said education, transit and leisure would be her top policy priorities to sustain that vision.

Gangdong-gu surpassed a population of 500,000 in February, making it the fourth most populous district in Seoul — though the figure has dipped slightly to 497,280 as of Thursday due to relocations tied to reconstruction projects. The district has seen a sharp rise in residents in their 30s and 40s over the past five years, up 8.9 percent between December 2021 and February 2026, driven by a wave of move-ins at large residential complexes. The number of newlywed couples and families with young children has also grown. Lee said her first term was about designing a city of 500,000, while her second will focus on delivering the policy services that a younger Gangdong-gu demands. The Herald Business sat down with Lee on Wednesday to discuss the district's present and future.

The following are excerpts from the interview.

— What sets your second term apart from the first?

During the first-term election, residents wanted development and growth. So that term centered on change — revising district unit plans and drawing up the Gangdong Grand Design, a long-term urban development blueprint targeting 2040. We made meaningful progress. The second term will put the emphasis on being a "young city." A large number of residents in their 30s and 40s have moved into Gangdong-gu. In terms of population composition, it looks like a jar — wide in the middle. I want that composition to hold. What those residents want is education, transit and leisure. Providing those things is what keeps a city young.

— Your top campaign pledge was expanding IB education and pursuing an education internationalization zone.

The university entrance system is moving toward more essay-based and descriptive questions. In an AI-driven environment, the ability to think independently is becoming a key competitive edge for children. Discussion-based learning is essential. The International Baccalaureate is an internationally accredited curriculum run by a Swiss nonprofit foundation. It teaches students to think for themselves and find answers through debate, projects and written assessments. Eleven elementary, middle and high schools in the district have expressed interest in participating. The goal is to expand the total number of IB interest, candidate and certified schools to 15 by 2030, including three certified schools.

— You plan to establish a dedicated IB and education internationalization zone task force directly under the district mayor's office, along with an advisory panel.

Education internationalization zones have been designated in Gyeonggi Province and other regions, but never in Seoul — even though Seoul has the largest student population in the country. Excluding Seoul amounts to a kind of reverse discrimination. Designation as a special zone would expand the conditions under which diverse curricula can be offered, including the freedom to select textbooks independently. We plan to apply for the Ministry of Education's fourth-round education internationalization zone competition next year, with the goal of becoming Seoul's first designated zone by 2028.

— Improving the transit environment remains a challenge.

Gangdong-gu is a key transit hub connected to Seoul Metro Lines 5, 8 and 9 as well as major arterial roads. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been pushing to develop new towns in Namyangju and Hanam in Gyeonggi Province, which will only increase subway ridership. Easing congestion is urgent. Line 8 has seen worsening rush-hour crowding since the Byeollae Line opened in 2024, concentrating demand from eastern Gyeonggi Province. A study by Seoul Metro found that three to four additional train sets would be needed to keep Line 8 congestion below 150 percent. That purchase would cost more than 40 billion won ($29.8 million) and take more than three years to manufacture. Cost-sharing among the relevant local governments — Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Guri and Namyangju — will be necessary, as will cooperation among them.

— You have also identified as urgent the project to connect Line 3's Songpa-Hanam extension with Line 9's Dunchon-Oryun Station.

The idea is to link Line 9's Dunchon-Oryun Station to a point between Station 100 in Songpa-gu — at the Olympic Athletes' Village apartment intersection — and Station 101 in Hanam's Gamil district on the Line 3 Songpa-Hanam extension, creating an interchange between Lines 3 and 9. A preliminary feasibility study for the connection was launched Aug. 28.

— You are also pursuing the Gangdong Han River Greenway project. How will the Han River waterfront in Gangdong-gu change?

The Gangdong Han River Greenway project aims to reconnect mountains, forests and the Han River that have long been cut off by the Olympic Expressway and various regulations. The core goal is to create a single green ecological corridor — preserving the natural environment as much as possible — running from Iljasan through Godeoksan all the way to the Han River. The roughly 4.9-kilometer stretch from Amsa Chorokkil to Garaeyeoul Village is divided into four zones, with 12 detailed sub-projects. The top priority is the "Han River Nuri-gil," the key segment that directly connects Godeoksan — severed from the river by the Olympic Expressway — to the Han River. An ecological observation trail of about 1.3 kilometers will also be created from the Amsa water intake facility to the Godeoksan area.

— JYP Entertainment announced it would not build a new headquarters at Godeok BizValley and would instead expand its offices in Seongnae-dong.

After that announcement, JYP chief producer and largest shareholder Park Jin-young came by. I told him I was disappointed but would do everything I could to help. Park said he hoped the JYP building would become a landmark in Gangdong-gu and spoke about growing together with the local community.

— What projects need to show results early in your second term?

The education internationalization zone and the project connecting the Songpa-Hanam Line with Dunchon-Oryun Station are both urgent. There is no time to waste.

— What else is on the agenda?

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has announced plans to promote AI knowledge-based industries as part of a mixed-use development in Godeok and Gangil. In line with that, we are exploring ways to designate a pilot zone for self-driving cars and delivery drones near Godeok BizValley. It is still at the idea stage — we plan to carry out the administrative groundwork next year. Internal review found that delivery drones are currently permitted only over islands and parks, though the technology has advanced considerably. We intend to open discussions with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of National Defense. We are also reviewing whether to apply next year for a joint Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Seoul Metropolitan Government competition for an autonomous bus service.