Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jung Shares Policy Directions with Jung-gu Residents on Second Autonomous District Tour

Daejeon City visited Jung-gu on the 21st to hold the second autonomous district 'Win-Win Empathy Tour' of the 9th popular election term, stepping up communication to resolve local pending issues such as citizen safety and the revitalization of the old downtown.

Mayor Heo Tae-jung visited the construction site of the Daejeon Jungbu Fire Station in Busa-dong, followed by a meeting with some 300 Jung-gu residents at the Christian Union Fellowship Hall. During the meeting, he shared the municipal administration vision and major policies of the 9th popular election term, and directly listened to citizens' opinions on local issues.

For his first schedule, Mayor Heo visited the Daejeon Jung-bu Fire Station construction site, which has been a long-cherished project for the residents of Jung-gu. Starting with the establishment of the basic plan and land purchase during the 7th popular election term, and following related procedures such as design, construction on the Jungbu Fire Station commenced in September. It is being built in the area of 126-5 Busa-dong with a ground floor of 4 stories and a total floor area of approximately 3,518 square meters.

Previously, Jung-gu had no fire station of its own, with Dong-bu, Seo-bu, and Dunsan Fire Stations having jurisdiction. However, once the Jungbu Fire Station is completed, it is expected to secure a focal point for disaster response in the Jung-gu area, contributing to rapid on-site dispatch and securing the golden time.

At the site, Mayor Heo received a report on the project progress and listened to residents' opinions. He emphasized, "As the construction of the Jungbu Fire Station is a long-cherished project of Jung-gu residents, we will thoroughly manage safety and processes at the construction site to ensure it is completed without a hitch by 2028."

In the subsequent conversation with citizens held at the Christian Union Fellowship Hall, Mayor Heo explained the municipal administration vision and core tasks of the 9th popular election term. He announced support of 1 billion won each in special grant taxes—totaling 2 billion won—for the construction of the Munchang Public Library and the Jung-gu Senior Welfare Center proposed by Jung-gu, and also stated that municipal budget support will be reviewed as the projects progress.

The Munchang Public Library is a school-complex facility to be established within Munchang Elementary School with a scale of one basement level to four above-ground floors and a total floor area of approximately 3,790 square meters. It is expected to feature reading rooms, data rooms, a multi-purpose auditorium, and cultural spaces, contributing to expanding Jung-gu's insufficient public library infrastructure and broadening residents' opportunities to enjoy education and culture.

In addition, to cope with Jung-gu's increasing elderly population and meet the welfare demands of seniors, the city plans to support 1 billion won in special grant taxes for the construction of the Jung-gu Senior Welfare Center, along with municipal funding of about 4.3 billion won—accounting for 30% of the construction cost—in accordance with the project's progress. The senior welfare center will be built on the site of the former South Daejeon Registry Office in Busa-dong, with one basement level to three above-ground floors and a total floor area of approximately 2,537 square meters.

Following this, various opinions for regional development and the resolution of daily inconveniences were exchanged during the dialogue with citizens. Citizens proposed major local issues, including the preservation and utilization of the Daejeon Bucheongsa (former Daejeon City Hall building), the construction of cultural facilities within Seodaejeon Plaza, the expansion of bus stop convenience facilities, and the improvement of the Seongmo Intersection traffic signal system.

Regarding the preservation and utilization project of Daejeon Bucheongsa, the city explained that it is a stage of re-examination and adjustment rather than a suspension of the project. It stated plans to tidy up the yard prior to construction to use it preferentially as a citizen cultural space, and later prepare specific utilization plans reflecting residents' opinions.

As for the proposal to build cultural facilities inside Seodaejeon Plaza, the city conveyed its stance that it needs to be carefully reviewed by comprehensively considering the plaza's function as a citizen resting space and past legal disputes regarding land purchases.

Public transportation convenience facilities, such as hot and cold seats at bus stops and bus information terminals, will be expanded next year by organizing budgets considering the conditions of each autonomous district. Regarding the Seongmo Intersection traffic signal system, the city stated that it will maintain the current system for pedestrian safety while continuously monitoring traffic flows to review improvement measures.

Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jung said, "During the 9th popular election term, we will strengthen municipal-district cooperation and actively reflect the voices of citizens heard in the field into policies," adding, "We will do our best to resolve Jung-gu's long-standing aspirations, add new vitality to the old downtown, and let citizens feel changes in their daily lives."

Meanwhile, Daejeon City plans to continuously pursue the resolution of life-closer pending issues, such as checking regional core projects through autonomous district win-win empathy tours and reflecting citizen suggestions into municipal administration.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]