Gangdong District Chief Candidate Soohee Lee: "I Will Make Gangdong the Center of Eastern Metropolitan Area" [Interview]

IB Education Special Zone, Transportation, and Hangang Greenway Pledges
Balanced Development of Old Downtown Areas... Prompt Support for Reconstruction and Redevelopment
Soohee Lee, People Power Party Candidate for Gangdong District Mayor

"Gangdong District is currently at a time of both opportunity and crisis."

This is the diagnosis emphasized by Soohee Lee, the People Power Party candidate for mayor of Gangdong District, who is seeking re-election. She said, "Once the development of new towns in Namyangju, Guri, and Hanam is completed, the combined population of these surrounding cities will exceed 2 million," adding, "Gangdong District now stands at a crossroads — whether it will remain merely a gateway to Seoul or establish itself as the central city of the eastern metropolitan area."

In an interview with The Asia Business Daily, Soohee Lee, candidate for the mayor of Gangdong District, emphasized the policy continuity and role of a re-elected district mayor. Photo provided by the Election Office.

In an interview with The Asia Business Daily at her campaign office on May 20, Lee stated, "To prepare for that future, we have established comprehensive urban master plans such as the '2040 Gangdong Grand Design' and the 'Gangdong Hangang Greenway.' The person who designed this blueprint should see it through with continuity." She explained her decision to run for re-election by saying, "There is no time to prepare something new. We cannot afford to miss the timing."

Looking back on her term as mayor during the 8th popularly elected administration, Lee said, "Four years ago, my mission was to normalize the abnormal and establish a future vision for Gangdong." She evaluated her tenure as having resolved a series of difficult issues one by one, including the waste incineration plant problem, securing the GTX-D line, the suspension of the Olympic Park Foreon construction, delays in the Dongmyeong Neighborhood Park underground parking lot and the Myeongil Complex Government Office. She added, "A 91.7% pledge fulfillment rate, three consecutive years of presidential citations, ranking first among Seoul’s districts in the Korea Local Government Competitiveness Index, the highest birth rate increase in Seoul (up 19.97% year-on-year), and surpassing 500,000 in population — these numbers tell the story of the last four years."

The first pledge Lee mentioned was prompt support for reconstruction and redevelopment. She said, "With the reconstruction complexes in Myeongil-dong now steadily being designated as maintenance zones, the process has entered full swing. If up to now was the preparation phase, we are now at the execution phase, with the establishment of promotion committees and associations just ahead."

She pledged to upgrade the existing task force (TF) system within departments to a "Mayor's Direct Urban Development TF." She explained, "Previously, departments would hold meetings and report upwards, but now I believe the structure needs to change so that I am more directly involved." She also cited the balanced development of both the old and new downtown areas, including the redevelopment of Cheonho-dong, as a key task.

In the field of education, she highlighted as a key pledge the "designation of Seoul’s first IB Education Internationalization Zone." The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a global education program focused on debate, essay writing, and self-directed learning. Lee described this as a proactive response to the trend in university admissions toward essay-based and subjective formats.

Currently, Jeju City (1st phase) and Suseong District in Daegu (2nd phase) have designated IB education zones, and Lee’s goal is for Gangdong District to become the first in Seoul to be selected in the third round of designations between 2028 and 2029. She said, "We will allocate district funds, separate from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education budget, to support teacher training and school facilities," adding, "The role of the district office is to differentiate our approach from others and ensure substantial outcomes." She also mentioned the need to establish a new elementary school in the old downtown area.

The core of her transportation policy is ushering in the "GTX-D Gangdong Era." She pledged to ensure that the GTX-D line, which was confirmed in 2024 to pass through Gangdong, is officially included in the 5th National Rail Network Construction Plan (2026–2035), with the goal of opening in 2035.

She also focused on the issue of increasing train capacity on Line 8. "Seoul City added two more trains departing from Amsa Station, but due to a breakdown, only one of them was actually operating," she said, emphasizing the need to order new trains and to form a consultative body with Gyeonggi Province, Namyangju, and Guri to respond together. She also bundled together the direct connection of Subway Line 5, the on-time completion of Phase 4 of Line 9, the prompt commencement of construction for the tentatively named Sin-Gangil Station in Phase 5 of Line 9, and the promotion of an express station at Dunchon Oryun Station on Line 9 as a package of transportation projects.

Soohee Lee, candidate for Gangdong District Mayor, is meeting and having a conversation with residents at a traditional market in the district. Provided by the election office.

Lee stated, "One of Gangdong District’s greatest strengths is its natural environment, yet the Hangang riverside in Gangdong has been greatly neglected," promising to realize the "Gangdong Hangang Greenway" project, which will connect forest and water trails from Iljasan Mountain to the Hangang Riverside. She plans to install a green bridge connecting Iljasan to the river and to establish an observatory. "The basic design is set within the framework of current regulations," she explained.

She also pledged to attract high-value industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) to the Gangdong General Industrial Complex, creating jobs for people in their 30s and 40s. While acknowledging the lack of transportation infrastructure near the industrial complex, she said, "In the 9th popular administration, we will develop transportation measures to improve accessibility."

Lee emphasized, "Having resolved and achieved results on the difficult issues of the past four years, it is now essential for someone with continuity to bring Gangdong to full bloom as the central city of the eastern metropolitan area."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.