Seoul's Seocho-gu has begun removing utility poles and overhead wires along school routes near Seoichon Elementary School, burying the cables underground to improve pedestrian safety.
The district announced Wednesday that it launched the underground cabling project Saturday, covering a 465-meter stretch along Saimdang-ro and Seoun-ro in Seocho 2-dong. The work involves removing utility and telecommunications poles and burying the lines underground.
The project targets pedestrian paths near Seoichon Elementary School, Mujigae Shopping Center and the LIT Tower across the street. It was first proposed in January 2023 to prevent accidents and improve walking conditions along the school route.
The ground-breaking follows approval from Korea Electric Power Corporation, an agreement between the district and the corporation, and the completion of detailed design work. The district plans to finish the project by December 2028.
Since 2022 and through the first half of this year, Seocho-gu has completed underground cabling at five locations across the district, covering a total of 1,856 meters. In March, the district also broke ground on a separate project near Ssarijaegongwon park in Jamwon-dong.
Seocho-gu is pursuing underground cabling at 15 locations — the most of any autonomous district in Seoul. A district official said the plan is to expand the program by two sites per year in cooperation with Korea Electric Power Corporation.
District Mayor Jeon Seong-su said the underground cabling project "simultaneously delivers safer school routes, improved urban aesthetics and better pedestrian infrastructure," adding that the district will continue the effort to make Seocho a place where residents can walk with peace of mind.
ken@heraldcorp.com
