▲ Mayor Hong In-sung

Incheon Metropolitan City is where the modern history of Korea ignited. Modern History Park in Jung District keeps the 130 years of traces of modern history of Korea since opening of the Incheon Port in 1883; it was the first of the three opened ports: Busan and Wonsan during the era. So the city rapidly shaped into a modern city more than any other cities in Korea. Despite the slowdown of this advancement for some period, Incheon Metropolitan City and Jung District gathered their strength one more time to bring back the former glory in all aspects from culture and art to history. Under the slogan ‘Open Port City, Future City, People Centered City’, Jung District Mayor Hong In-sung declared his firm vision for fairness, communication, participation, safety and vibration. <Power Korea> met Hong and heard his story.

Q. You declared a vision of the district January this year.
A. I did. And I prepared it for 6 months. The vision is consisted of 5 goals and 12 implementation strategies. 5 goals are to create a historic and cultural city, a safe and inviting city, a vibrant economic city, a balanced city, and a resident-centered city. We will build a complex marine cultural belt that will connect Yeongjong Island to the inner harbor to the southern harbor; it will turn the district’s tourism resources to a profit generating business. We will proudly spread the fact that Jung District was one of the centers of independence movement. We will create unique cultural contents to attract more people to the city and to the district.

Q. Tell us more about culture contents.
A. We are working on events to celebrate the March 1 Movement and the 100th anniversary of establishing the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea alongside creating Kim Gu Street that will illuminate the years of his youth working as a laborer of the harbor construction. Jung District is the place where the Korean national flag was used for the first time on the United States-Korea Treaty of 1882, and where the 13 provincial leaders’ meeting for establishing the Hansung Provisional Government took place. We will turn Dap-dong Cathedral and St. Michael’s Anglican Church as centers for this historic education and tourism while use the port area where busking and music performances are taken place on a regular basis. 

Q. You have increased education and welfare budget.
A. It is USD 115 million, 34% of the whole budget of the district. The budget will be used to increase the number of senior citizen centers, to furnish massage chairs, to support health insurance, pension and medical expenses, to improve roads for disabled, to facilitate women programs alongside running manless delivery service for their safety, to give out $440 to families living with 3 generations on Korean Thanks Giving Day, to improve youth programs, to secure more daycare center, to install air purifiers in daycare centers, to build schools and repair worn out equipment, to provide free meals and uniforms, and to build youth training centers. 

Q. Tell us about urban regeneration you are working on.
A. 10% of the district is the old city center and 90% is new towns. So we need to build infrastructure in new towns. For this, we will extend the Yeongjong Community Service Center, open a general hospital in Yeongjong International City alongside various other amenities such as youth centers and senior centers, roads and highways. As for the old city center, housing is one of the urgent issues. Instead of rebuilding, we are working on remodeling. Shinhung-dong and Dap-dong are designated for remodeling. Other projects include improvement of roads and creating a communal rental store building. 

Q. The thing you wish to have done during your term.
A. It is the resident-participatory budget system. We allocated $263,968 budget for the system last year and will increase the volume to $1.319 million this year for creating King Cherry Blossom Street and for installing alley crossroads in Yulmok-dong. In order to gather residents’ opinions, we run a resident academy and a meeting is taken place in 12 dongs (towns) a month. 

Q. What tourist attractions do you boast?
A. Jung District has 41 ‘first-happened’ titles in Korea. Freedom Park, for example, is the first westernized park in Korea and Gyeongin Line, for another example, is the first railway that connected Incheon Station to Noryangjin Station Seoul. A forest lodge is on the way to build on Muui Island alongside resorts and bicycle lanes. 

Q. Lastly, any comments you would like to make to residents?
A. Jung District has won the local government competitive index in 2018 held by the Korea Institute for Public Autonomy for four years in a row. Also, we ranked No.1 at the energy saving implementation appraisal among districts in Incheon in 2018, and No.3 at the integrity appraisal held by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. Like I told you in our vision of the district, we value our residents and communication more than anything else in implementing the projects and I and my staff will do our utmost effort in creating a better and happier Jung District. 

历史和未来共存的仁川中区，实现福利和公益的价值。
已成为韩国最具魅力的城区。

Q. 仁川广域市中区于1月25日举行了愿景宣布仪式。请您谈一谈今年中区的愿景和目标是什么？

去年7月上任民选7届区厅长以后经过6个月的准备举行了愿景宣布仪式。 

仁川广域市中区自1883年开港以来，城区以港口为中心形成和发展至今。为了建设“富于历史内涵的文化城市”，建设永宗、内港、南港等海洋文化综合港湾带，利用从开港地到永宗国际城的自然环境推进历史‧文化 旅游资源化。纪念3.1运动和临时政府建立100周年，为了向海内外广泛宣传我们中区曾经为独立运动的中心，将积极推进多种文化内容的开发。

Q. 请您具体说明中区文化内容开发计划？

为了向海内外更加广泛宣传与大韩民国现代化历史同步走来的中区，从重新回顾传教历史足迹的意义出发，对沓洞教堂、内里教会、圣公会仁川内洞教会实现教育和旅游资源化，在开港地周围策划定期的街头表演，建设充满音乐和浪漫的中区。通过这些丰富多彩的节目，实现中区旅游资源的多元化，努力打造成历史和未来共存的城区。

Q. 在今年预算编制中教育和社会福利领域的预算大幅提升，对此您有何想法？

我区正在致力于“安全温馨的福利城市”建设。今年用于教育和福利的预算将达到1,312亿韩元，占全部预算总额的34%。我区作为基础自治团体，通过与居民的积极沟通，寻找能够给居民带来实惠的部分。首先为了曾经为地区发展主力军的老年人扩建敬老院，普及了按摩椅。同时，将继续扩大支援社会弱势群体的健康保险，为残障人支援年金和医疗费，推进道路结构的改善，确保残障人的移动权利。

Q.中区分为旧城区和永宗新城区，特色非常明显。您对旧城区改建事业有何想法？

中区面积占仁川总面积的7.6%。其中旧城区占10%，新城区占90%，新区基础设施的建设已成为焦点。为此，我区从今年开始正在筹备公开征集生活紧密型SOC事业。而且，为了扩建永宗综合大楼别馆投入26亿韩元的预算，努力争取在今年上半年竣工。与此同时，为了成功引进永宗国际城综合医院，组成民政实务TF部门，与民间团体构建共同应对体系，同时将举办由医疗专家和居民共同参与的综合医院招商引资相关论坛。还有，虽然已通过连结机场铁路，部分解决了交通接近性问题，但是至今只能在青萝站换乘，而永宗国际城还没设置换乘站。而且，旧城区的城市改建和定居环境改善问题也是亟待解决的课题。从2019年开始经过4年的时间，以推进新兴洞1街 38-9号周围的居住稳定和创造就业，建设幸福小区为目标，积极推进公共企业参与型街道住宅整顿事业，老公共大楼综合开发事业，建设安全的小区公路，组建公共租赁商场等事业。而且，被评选为仁川型城市改建事业示范项目的“钱洞上基谷共同村”，是一项居民亲自参与和策划的居民共同体居住区改建项目，将推进居住者优先停车场、小规模住宅整顿事业、小区住宅管理所运营等事业。

Q. 民选7届出台以后已过了9个月左右的时间。您在今后任期内都想解决什么问题？

我们将积极开展基础自治团体最需要的生活紧密型区政活动。将重点放在居民生活中的需求，努力解决迄今遗留下来的问题。为此，我区正在扩大运营过去有名无实的居民参与预算制度。去年用3亿韩元预算运营的居民参与预算制度，今年大幅扩大到15亿韩元的规模。最近代表性居民参与预算项目有组建樱花树街道工程，栗木洞胡同交叉路警报设置工程等。

Q. 中区是远近闻名的著名旅游区。您想重点介绍哪些中区的旅游资源？

中区早于仁川其它地区具备了城市的面貌。要说仁川的发展与中区的发展息息相关也不为过。中区拥有41个“大韩民国第一”头衔。代表性旅游景点自由公园是大韩民国第一座西欧式公园，大韩民国第一条火车线京仁线从中区的仁川站出发一直连结到首尔的鹭粱津站。而且，中区还拥有大韩民国第一座监理教会中区内洞内里教会、大韩民国第一座天主教堂沓洞教堂、大韩民国第一座灯塔八尾岛灯塔等多种文化遗产。

在舞衣岛和新侍岛建设休养林的国立自然休养林事业，投入额比上一年度增加了10亿韩元，另外计划通过综合度假村建设和自行车道路连结，建设一个交通更加便利的旅游区。中区是有历史底蕴和灿烂文化的城市，在这里能够感受到韩国特有的人情风味。今后我们将继续努力挖掘我区的历史，促进旅游事业的发展。

Q. 最后您想对中区区民说些什么话？

我区在由韩国公共自治研究院主办的2018年韩国地方自治竞争力指数评价中连续4年被评选为最佳机构。而且，在2018年节能实践推进评价中，在仁川市各地方自治团体中排名第一，荣获活跃传统市场部门中小风险投资企业部长官奖。在2018年国民权益委员会清廉度评价中荣获三级，比去年上升了一阶段。2019年是正式开始民选7届的第一年，将成为实现未来10年愿景的出发点。

我区要保护好自己的历史和文化，为实现引领未来的中区、融入过去和未来的中区，重视“公益”的价值，实现“人文主义的福利”。实现公益的过程必须要公正。以公益和公正、沟通的哲学，制定多项政策，进一步促进行政和居民共同建设的共同体社会的实现，努力建设“开港文化、未来城市、宜于人居的中区”。

 

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