DP's Yeongdeungpo Nominee Proposes Renaming District 'Yeouido' to Boost Value

Jo Yoo-jin, a preliminary candidate for the Democratic Party's Yeongdeungpo District Mayor nomination, announced a pledge on the 22nd to raise the district's value by renaming it 'Yeouido District'. The candidate argued that the name 'Yeongdeungpo,' given during administrative reorganizations under Japanese colonial rule in 1914, represents a 'historical shift away from the framework of 110 years of colonial administration' and 'a declaration of spatial sovereignty by residents.'

Changing a district's name involves four stages according to the Local Autonomy Act: gathering resident opinions, district council approval, recommendation to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, and amendment of presidential decrees. Jo's campaign estimates the direct cost of the name change to be between 5 billion and 10 billion won. They explained this as an investment in urban rebranding, suggesting that a 1% point drop in office vacancy rates in Yeouido could offset this through increased tax revenue.

Jo added a plan to create a 'Yeouido Parkway,' a linear park of approximately 200,000 square meters above the 3.4 km Gyeongbu Line section from Shindorim Station to Daebang Station after its undergrounding. This park would connect severed east-west living areas. The candidate envisions the 'Yeouido District' name as the completion stage of urban redesign, linked to the development of an international financial hub and the Han River waterfront.

Furthermore, Jo emphasized being a 'fifth-generation Yeongdeungpo native' born in Singil-dong, Yeongdeungpo, and graduating from Dorim Elementary School. The candidate highlighted their background, including graduating from Seoul National University's College of Law and serving as an administrative officer in the Presidential Secretariat, to stress their capacity for cooperation with the central government.