Guro-gu district mayor to propose transferring small-scale redevelopment authority from Seoul city hall

Guro-gu District Mayor Jang In-hong speaks with The Herald Business at the Guro district office on June 30. He said he plans to propose to Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon that the authority to designate redevelopment zones of fewer than 500 units be transferred to the district. [Guro-gu]

Guro-gu District Mayor Jang In-hong said he plans to propose to Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon that the authority to designate redevelopment zones of fewer than 500 units be transferred to individual districts. He named the "Guro-type basic society" as the top priority of his ninth elected term, saying he aims to build "a Guro-gu where the community takes responsibility for ensuring residents live with dignity, not merely at a bare minimum."

Jang won re-election after just one year in office, carrying all 16 administrative neighborhoods — including Sindorim-dong and Sugung-dong, which have traditionally leaned conservative. He attributed his victory to a year spent listening to residents on the ground. The Herald Business sat down with Jang on June 30 to hear his blueprint for the ninth elected term. The following is an edited transcript of the interview.

— Why did residents choose you again?

▶ Frequently meeting with residents was what set me apart from my predecessor. A lot of people said, "Even small complaints get addressed right away." I spent a year going out to the field. I followed up on every single matter related to the district office — not one slipped through. I visited a Buddhist temple once, and a monk asked me to prune a pine tree that was dying. We had it done within three days. People felt a real sense of effectiveness and satisfaction from having even minor concerns resolved.

— Residents have strong demand for redevelopment projects. The pace of development in neighboring Gwangmyeong in Gyeonggi Province often comes up for comparison.

▶ Gwangmyeong is just across the Mokgamcheon stream from Guro. High-rise apartment buildings of 20 stories and above are going up over there. The contrast with Guro is stark. The Gwangmyeong mayor, unlike a district mayor, has urban planning authority. Gwangmyeong was originally a less developed area than Guro — home prices reflected that too. Guro residents feel a sense of loss when they compare themselves to Gwangmyeong.

— Your top campaign pledge is "a Guro that leaps forward," centered on accelerating redevelopment projects.

▶ In the last election, Democratic Party of Korea Seoul mayoral candidate Jeong Won-o put forward a campaign pledge to transfer the authority to designate redevelopment zones of fewer than 500 units to individual districts. I believe Mayor Oh will not strongly oppose the idea either, so I intend to make the proposal to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Take the fast-track integrated planning process as an example: the district consults with residents, draws up a rough zoning plan and submits it to the city. The city then convenes the Urban Planning Deliberation Committee to make a decision. The district only submits the proposal — if it is rejected, starting over takes another six months to a year. Urban planning authority for redevelopment and reconstruction is concentrated at the city level, and the backlog sometimes means cases go unprocessed. Large-scale projects should stay with the city, but projects under 500 units need to be handed to the districts so they can move faster. Districts understand local conditions better. Mayor Oh has no reason not to accept the proposal.

— There are outstanding challenges, including the relocation of the Guro train depot.

▶ I will see the Guro train depot relocation through to the end, with inclusion in the Fifth National Railway Network Construction Plan as the goal. Even after the project was suspended in 2023, the district continued reviewing alternatives and has persistently petitioned the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. We explored relocation options through a public-private-political consultative body, and residents rallied behind the cause with a signature campaign. Getting the project included in the Fifth National Railway Network Construction Plan is our top priority, and I will focus on putting it back on track.

— Residents are pushing back against plans to install a GTX-B line ventilation shaft near Gyeongin High School.

▶ The district's position is clear. Matters that could affect residents' living environment and safety must not be pushed through unilaterally. The district has already formally requested that the project operator and contractor halt construction related to the GTX-B line and come up with countermeasures. Until an alternative that residents can accept is in place, the district will stand firmly on the side of residents.

— What are your priority projects at the start of your term?

▶ I will pursue the Guro-type basic society as the central agenda of the ninth elected term. It is the direction this district government must continuously pursue. A basic society is one where the community takes responsibility for ensuring people live with dignity — not just at a bare minimum. Ultimately, it starts with strengthening support for the socially vulnerable. Next year, I plan to establish a Guro-type Basic Society Committee (tentative name) to build a foundation for public-private governance and put in place a sustainable implementation framework grounded in social consensus.

— The district became the first in the country to conduct a big data analysis of residents' income structure. What was behind that?

▶ We looked at residents' income structure down to 100-meter grid units. It shows us where we need to concentrate our efforts. It is a foundational project for the Guro-type basic society — a policy tool for strengthening support for the socially vulnerable. I want to move away from administration that relies on experience and intuition, and instead use AI and data to deliver the policies residents need more quickly and precisely.

— Is there anything you especially want to say?

▶ Guro is a place that fed Seoul. I hope residents themselves feel proud of Guro — and I hope people on the outside start seeing Guro in a new light.

cook@heraldcorp.com