Flower Path Along Suwon Stream… Creating Lacking Resident Recreation Space

Seryु 1·2·3 Dong, with a population of 67,778 and an area of 5.96㎢, takes the form of a mixed urban-rural region where over 80% comprises old downtown residential areas.

Parks and cultural welfare facilities are necessarily lacking. Excluding seven small children's parks, there are virtually no neighborhood parks or sports parks. The city gas supply rate is relatively lower compared to other dongs. As it is an old downtown area, there is inevitably a high volume of civil complaints.

More than half of the civil complaints from Seryु Dong residents posted on the Suwon City Hall website are related to such residential environment improvement, sanitation, and basic infrastructure including parks.

Councilman Kim Young-dae, who represents this district, naturally focuses his constituency activities on these issues.

On the morning of the 24th of last month at a Seryु Dong site, a resident met with Councilman Kim and requested, "Please have a children's park installed near Seryु Dong 1178 bun-ji (near the National Route 1 emergency runway entrance)."

Councilman Kim responded, "I will review the feasibility of creating a children's park through consultations with the dong, district office, and city hall."

Councilman Kim stated, "Since there are currently no extraordinary measures to expand parks and green spaces, I plan to do my utmost to remove concrete along the Suwon Stream basin to the maximum extent and create flower paths and loess walking trails so they can serve as adequate recreation spaces for residents of the dong."

Park Sun-woo, head of Seryु 2-dong, said, "Councilman Kim has engaged in diverse activities in Seryु Dong as a Saemaul leader, head of a crime prevention unit, private mobile unit member, and member of the residents' autonomy committee—he knows local conditions better than anyone. He even pays attention to cleaning back alleys and secondary roads."

Councilman Kim has a reputation among civil servants for handling civil complaints quietly and without fanfare.

Um Jung-sook, chief of the City Hall's Environmental Sanitation Division, said, "Despite handling a constituency with many pending issues and serving as chair of the Economic and Environmental Committee dealing with sensitive matters, he approaches policy work with a common-person image rather than authoritarianism and a modest and comfortable demeanor, making him popular among civil servants."

Councilman Kim, who is in his second term, currently serves as chair of the Economic and Environmental Committee.

Councilman Kim emphasizes, "In-depth alternatives at the level of the city council must be presented regarding business attraction and environmental capacity measures resulting from urban expansion."

Councilman Kim also has plans to change the name of the Economic and Environmental Committee and readjust the responsibilities and scope of work of relevant departments.

As he leads the Economic and Environmental Committee, he plans to focus his future policy activities on strengthening environmental policies including protection and preservation measures for the five major streams including Suwon Stream and Gwanggyo Mountain and Chilbo Mountain, and securing a certain percentage or above of green space when developing apartment residential complexes.

Councilman Kim emphasizes, "Adjustment of the standing committee's scope of work must follow so that economic and environmental policy can be established with greater depth."

Recently, voices in the council vicinity have pointed out that the Economic and Environmental Committee and Chair Kim have not actively addressed issues such as the composition of a resident support coordination body for the food waste treatment facility in west Suwon, which has seen no progress despite repeated civil complaints.

Councilman Kim responded, "The special committees established by the city council—Suwon airfield measures and Gwanggyo Mountain preservation—are all related to the Economic and Environmental Committee's responsibilities. The standing committee will strengthen expertise in related laws and technical matters, grasp what residents want, and build capacity to derive measures from the city level."

A fellow councilman said, "Councilman Kim has a reputation as a sincere and studious councilman. This is why his future policy activities draw attention."

"Low City Gas Supply Rate… Residential Environment Improvement Must Continue" Councilman Kim Young-dae ―There are many pending issues in the old downtown area, including airfield altitude restrictions. ▲The most urgent matter is that the National Route 1 emergency runway must be decommissioned in line with the times. Because of this, areas in Seryु 2-dong and Pyeong-dong face restrictions making it difficult to construct even two-story buildings. Additionally, an overpass connecting Dongjin Industries and Seryु Middle School is urgently needed. Combined with this, accidents have become frequent at the crosswalk at Hanjoo intersection since the terminal intersection elevated road opened, and we are demanding installation of signal violation detection devices. Due to the nature of being an old downtown area, government-led residential environment improvement projects and redevelopment projects must be expanded. First, we plan to expand insufficient parks and children's playgrounds and work with the education office to establish gymnasiums at Gwonseong Middle School and Namsuwon Elementary School. ―Regarding the food waste treatment facility in Gotsaek-dong, there are calls for the composition of a resident support coordination body. ▲I believe the composition of a resident support coordination body should follow the relevant law (Waste Management Law). We should examine the relevant legal provisions to the maximum extent, and if there are similar cases to the support coordination body, shouldn't Suwon City also establish one? (Regarding the food waste treatment facility resident coordination body) This is an issue that must be addressed from the perspective of all citizens as part of shared suffering. ―A word to the residents of the district. ▲I apologize that with the medium-sized election district system expanding my constituency area, I am unable to visit as frequently. With the resolve that each day is a new start, I will become a councilman who works closely with residents to think together about ways to resolve pending issues.