Gangnam-gu Office has been at the forefront in the race among districts to attract more foreign tourists and host more international events.
At the center of the drive to make the district more appealing to tourists and expatriates is its chief Shin Yeon-hee, 63.
Shin is the first woman to head a district office in Seoul with more than 30 years experience in public administration and has been orchestrating strategies to make Gangnam-gu a more internationally friendly district since July.
“Now I am the person who makes the final decision and I feel more responsibility than before,” Shin told The Korea Times. “I try to be more cautious and open my heart to other high-ranking officials so we can work on important issues together.”
Shin says women have advantages such as being more subtle and considerate. “I will try to make the best of such strong points while I serve the residents in my district.”
She said Gangnam is a representative district of not only Seoul but Korea as a whole. “Unlike other spontaneously developed cities, Gangnam is a planned area with the Coex convention center,” she said. “As Korea becomes globalized, Gangnam is also growing into a truly international district.”
The eyes of the world were focused intensely on Gangnam during the 2010 G20 Seoul Summit in November as the Coex was the main venue for one of the biggest events the country has ever hosted.
“We prepared for the summit by repairing roads and providing English menus in restaurants,” Shin said. “It was a big event and we had so many things to do as the main venue was in our district.”
Other than hosting the summit, Gangnam is rising as a new tourist destination in Seoul, full of charm covering traditional beauty to state-of-the-art technology.
Seonjeongneung, the tomb of King Seongjong, Queen Jeonghyeon and King Jungjong from the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), is located in the heart of Gangnam, which is considered as some of the most expensive land in Korea.
“The burial grounds are like the lungs of Gangnam and more foreigners are visiting the tombs after they were listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2009,” Shin said. “We plan to establish a road to Seonjeongneung from Asem-ro to give better access to the cultural area.”
Philkyungjae, a restaurant owned by the descendants of the royal family of the Joseon Kingdom, is another place to visit, she added.
Shin is eager to promote the fashionable parts of the district to expatriates as well. “Cheongdam Street and Garosu-gil are the trendiest neighborhoods leading the latest fads in Korea,” she said. “We will hold annual fashion festivals and plan to hold big sales events for luxury brands. We are going to make the festival include everyone.”
Medical tourism is another of Gangnam’s targets.
“We aim to draw at least 30,000 medical tourists next year. Medical tourism also benefits hotels, transportation and the restaurant business, creating more economic effects than just sightseers,” she said. “There are many hospitals and clinics in Gangnam, renowned for plastic surgery and dermatology.”
Ultimately, Shin wants to put tourist sites in Gangnam, such as Coex, as top priority for things to do and see when visitors come to Seoul. “They might think Gangnam is difficult to access, but once they come here, they will fall in love with it,” she said.
Shin also aims to promote the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry in the district, a project at the center of her campaign to attract expatriates to Gangnam and reinvigorate businesses in the district.
As a part of her effort, Shin wants to build another convention center. “There are 11 convention centers across the nation, but events tend to be held at Coex because Gangnam has the best infrastructure. However, Coex cannot house all the requests and we need more convention centers to create a business boom in Gangnam,” she said.
She also mentioned the possibility of the Suseo area becoming a transportation hub. Shin said some 26 percent of Gangnam is designated as a Green Belt. “We can make Gangnam a green city,” she said.
Shin has created a team to specialize in marketing the district when she reorganized the district office. “This is the first time for a ward to have its own marketing department.
“Gangnam is an area of business and the district government should support the move,” she said.
Led by Shin, the district held briefing sessions in several cities in China including Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. “We promoted our companies and MICE facilities and secured contracts worth some $36 million,” she said. “It proved that companies and business runners based in our district are globally competitive.”
Above all, Shin is proud of the district she is leading. “I will make Gangnam a place everyone wants to visit and even live,” she said.