Mayor Lee Sang-il of Yongin Holds 'Communication Forum with Residents of Jungang-dong'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Choi Ki-ho] Mayor Lee Sang-il of Yongin Special City held a 'communication forum with residents' at the Administrative Welfare Center in Jungang-dong, Choin-gu on the 26th.

The mayor stated, "We have been pursuing an urban regeneration project since last year that will redesign a 60,000-pyeong space around Jungang Market so that Jungang-dong can recover its past reputation as the original downtown," and added, "When the project is completed in 2027, the number of parking spaces at Jungang Market's public parking lot will expand from 95 spaces to 197 spaces, which will relieve the parking shortage problem to some extent."

The mayor continued to explain major projects and urban planning for Jungang-dong.

The mayor said, "In the second half of 2022, my first year in office, I had a project to transform Jungang-dong and the area around Jungang Market selected in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's urban regeneration project competition, and began the urban regeneration project from last year," and added, "By June 2027, we will invest a total of 65.2 billion won (including 18.6 billion won in national funds) in the area around Jungang Market (approximately 60,000 pyeong) to upgrade this area through the urban regeneration project."

The mayor explained, "We are working to transform the region with various content including expanded public parking at Jungang Market, smart workspaces for young people, cultural spaces, attractions, dining options, and seeking to recover the reputation of the original downtown. Since this is a large-scale project, we are continuing to gather the wisdom of experts, public officials, and residents as we move forward."

The mayor also outlined plans for creating Jungang Market as a culture and tourism-themed market.

The mayor said, "Jungang Market was selected for the 'Culture and Tourism-themed Market Promotion Project' in the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' '2024 Specialized Market Development Project,' securing 424 million won in national funds over two years, and we are supplementing this with an equivalent amount of city funds to develop locally-specialized content such as operating permanent night markets and conducting projects that combine historical, cultural, and tourism resources." He continued, "In June of this year, despite inclement weather, the 'Starlight Plaza Night Market Festival' saw over 150,000 people visit Jungang Market, which has been recognized as having abundant food and goods, so we will make efforts to ensure Yongin's Jungang Market receives even more love."

During the following resident petition session, residents raised the most concerns about expanded parking spaces.

Kim Yun-gi, director of the Jungang-dong Residents' Autonomous Committee, said, "The parking space at the Jungang-dong Administrative Welfare Center, which is right adjacent to Jungang Market, is small, so it would be nice if we could establish a parking tower in the surrounding area."

The mayor said, "I fully understand the inconvenience of Jungang-dong residents and am working to expand parking space in Jungang-dong and around Jungang Market, but we need to review issues related to space and budget securing," and added, "We are prioritizing parking space securing in the Jungang-dong urban regeneration project, so by 2027 when the urban regeneration project is completed, we plan to expand the number of parking spaces at Jungang Market's public parking lot from the current 95 spaces to 197 spaces, so we ask for your patience."

Kim Min-young, a resident representative, said, "I am a loyal reader of 'Yongin News' published monthly by Yongin City, and I hope more citizens would subscribe to it," and suggested, "It would be nice to promote it through street banners and announcements so residents can subscribe."

The mayor said, "After taking office, I completely changed the content, layout, writing, and editing of 'Yongin News' compared to the previous administration, including news from various fields such as Yongin's history, notable figures, traditions, culture, and arts, turning it into a quality magazine with stories," and added, "Over the past two years, the number of 'Yongin News' subscribers has increased by tens of thousands, and more than 1,000 new subscriptions are coming in each month, but I don't think it is desirable to hang banners telling people to subscribe, as it could feel coercive. It would be better for citizens to naturally take interest."

The mayor said, "Over the past two years, I have been running non-stop, which has taken a physical and mental toll, but I am working with sincerity to repay the citizens who elected me through work and results," and added, "I will continue to do my best going forward."