By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon knows very well that the capital has a long way to go before it can be acknowledged as a truly global city where foreign nationals can live comfortably. He has carried out various projects to make Seoul a better city, friendly to foreigners and travelers since he took office about two years ago.
His projects are mostly long-term centered on improving ``software'' and getting rid of invisible hurdles. He knows these steps usually don't draw popularity as they are far from showing achievements in the short-term. Still, he is committed to pressing ahead with the projects.
``It's too early to assess what I have done in terms of jobs to make foreigners' lives more comfortable,'' Oh said in an interview with The Korea Times. ``Most projects I have designed require time and I will carry them through without fail.''
On top of improving the education, residence and medical services, Oh has actively tackled tasks to resolve communication difficulties that have been cited as the biggest inconveniences for foreigners. In ``Global Zone'' projects, the city has set up business, residential and cultural zones where foreigners can feel at home.
The Seoul Global Center, a one-stop service center set up in January, has been the mainstay behind all of these globalization projects. It has branched out in major districts in Seoul where many foreign residents live. Hundreds of them visit these branches daily to get a variety of information and assistance.
He is confident that foreigners in the capital will slowly but definitely come to see the difference.
``All these efforts will help make Seoul a city a more convenient place for foreigners to live in,'' Oh said. ``Ultimately, what we want to do is to make Seoul more attractive for foreign nationals so that they come here, invest here and enjoy touring here. It's also critical to compete with other cities worldwide,'' he said.
The number of foreigners residing here exceeded one million last year for the first time, and they make up 2.5 percent of the total population of Seoul in September.
Mayor Oh said it is also important to change citizens' sentiment toward foreigners in a so-called racially homogeneous nation.
``Most Koreans are not good at English. But there are more things than language such as facial expressions and friendly attitudes. These are also important for the true globalization of Seoul,'' he said.
Seoul recently ranked ninth out of 60 major cities in the latest globalization index by the global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney and American magazine Foreign Policy. In the survey, New York came first, followed by London, Paris and Tokyo. The index measures cities and countries according to their economic conditions, human resources, technological advancement and political participation.
Oh aims to get the city ranked higher, with a greater emphasis being placed on culture and the environment.
``The future of Seoul will be as a `city of creative culture,''' he said. ``We are moving into an era when culture, design and content are more valued than the manufacturing industry, with the emphasis on function and efficiency. It will be a city for bicycles and pedestrians not for cars.''
Mayor Oh also pointed out that ``culturnomics'' is a key strategy in raising the quality of life for Seoul's citizens and revitalizing the economy of the capital.
Design-Focused City
To make Seoul an attractive city, design is the main driving force, he said.
``Just two year ago, the emphasis on design sounded too luxurious. But now many people have begun to understand its importance, which is one of our great achievements. As I always emphasize, without design there will be no future for Seoul,'' he said.
The city has been selected as the 2010 World Design Capital, which shows Seoul evolving into an internationally acclaimed design capital, he said.
The International Design Alliance (IDA) selects a city as a World Design Capital in recognition of its achievements or potential in the development of design. Seoul was designated, Oct. 21, 2007.
Seoul hosted the World Design Olympiad 2008 from Oct. 10 to 30 as part of efforts to enhance and promote the capital as a world center for design.
``The world's first comprehensive design event showed our potential. We believe it was successful, drawing more people than we first aimed for,'' he said.
There are many projects underway, which are changing the cityscape.
As a new landmark, Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park will be completed by 2010 to celebrate the city's rebirth as a design capital. One of Seoul's largest-scale structures is being constructed from a design by the world renowned female architect Zaha Hadid on the site of the former Dongdaemun Stadium, the nation's first modern sports facility in central Seoul.
Another new landmark is also underway in Gwanghwamun Plaza located in the center of the 16-lane Sejongno, a main artery in the downtown area _ completion is scheduled for June 2009. The plaza aims to allow citizens' easier access to Gyeongbok Palace and the restored Cheonggye Stream.
The city government has also been developing the Han River as Seoul's iconic landmark under the two main themes _ restoration and creation. Restoration is focused on the revival of the river's old functions as an ecological home to people and wildlife, while creation aims to offer spaces for culture, business and tourism in the overcrowded city.
``When it comes to design, people simply tend to think about being fashionable or looking nice. But I can define design as what makes our city more comfortable, pleasant and safer as well as looking nice and beautiful. Design is everything and it's not just a matter of appearance, but more about an upgrade in the quality of life,'' Oh said.
Bringing People to Seoul
``Since my inauguration, tourism has been one of the top priorities I wanted to develop over the long term by building infrastructure,'' he said. ``All the projects aim at offering things to enjoy in Seoul and developing the city as a brand to attract more tourists.''
The city government has reduced property taxes and charges on water supply and drainage by 50 percent and 20 percent, respectively, for hotels so that they can reduce room rates.
Especially with China emerging as the largest market for tourism here, the city will keep promoting its attractions to the Chinese people and help the tourism sector offer more customized services for them, he said.
The city has also been making efforts to remove negative images associated with the city such as dirty streets, polluted air and ugly signboards.
The local government is helping to replace diesel engines in buses with pollution-free natural gas engines and will construct more bicycle-only lanes to improve the condition of the air. It has standardized and regulated street stalls and signboards as part of efforts to give the city a facelift.
``Such efforts will improve the quality of citizens' life but they will also improve the image of Seoul and its brand to bring more people here,'' Oh said.
In terms of what foreign people can enjoy here, the mayor has also vowed to have the city produce representative festivals similar to the Rio Carnival in Brazil and the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.
The ``Hi Seoul Festival'' has become one of the city's representative events in Seoul, and is held four times a year.
The city government hosts the festival each season under different themes _ palaces in spring, the Han River in summer, art in autumn and light in winter.
e3dward@koreatimes.co.kr
Who is Oh Se-hoon?
Mayor Oh Se-hoon was a successful figure in the legal sector, working as a law professor and legal adviser for a civic group, before joining politics in 2000.
Oh majored in law at Korea University and continued his studies in the subject at its graduate school until the late 1990s.
He was a professor at Sookmyung Women's University between 1997 and 1998, and later served as a legal adviser to the Korean Federation for Environmental Movements and a director of the environmental civic group.
The successful lawyer started his political career by being elected as a lawmaker in 2000. Oh served as a member of and labor committee at the National Asembly Environment and Labor Committee.
In July of 2006, he was elected as the 33rd mayor of Seoul, differentiating himself from his predecessors with the catchphrase ``culturnomics,'' emphasizing culture as the driving force for the city's development.
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