[INTERVIEW] Smart city initiatives, Hangeul promotion top Sejong’s policy goals: Mayor

The administrative city seeks more global exchanges

By Jung Da-hyun

Sejong was established as an administrative city with the aim of achieving balanced regional development and dealing with overpopulation in the metropolitan area surrounding Seoul.

Now housing many government ministries and public agencies, as well as the planned construction of a regional branch of the National Assembly, Sejong is aiming for a bigger vision of establishing itself as a smart city, according to the Mayor of Sejong, Choi Min-ho.

“We will incorporate cutting-edge technology in various sectors to provide various services aimed at improving citizens’ well-being,” Choi said during an interview with The Korea Times at his office on April 23.

“Our plan includes providing integrated services focused on citizens’ happiness through data-driven solutions,” Choi said.

In the health field, the city developed a platform to monitor individual health data and offer predictive and preventive services for diseases.

Advanced technology also plays a crucial role in the safety of residents. The city has implemented an AI-based video analytics platform that uses data collected by smart security cameras, IoT or Internet of Things, sensors and drones to quickly respond to emergencies.

“We have also created a way for citizens to express their opinions first-hand with the Sejong app, an online government platform,” Choi said.

“This platform allows citizens to actively suggest smart city policies and ways to use technologies and request needed services.”

In addition, the city is preparing for the commercialization of mobility services that use advanced technologies. These services include self-driving transportation, car sharing, and smart parking. Citizens will be able to use the integrated services related to mobility through a single application.

Stimulate exchanges with cities around the world

Not only is it focused on promoting the convenience of residents, the city is also focusing on creating global partnerships and sharing urban policies and technologies.

“Aligned with the British government’s proposal for cooperation under the Korea-British Twins project, we are collaborating with Belfast in Northern Ireland to advance a joint cooperative initiative,” Choi said.

Collaborative efforts between the two cities focus on areas such as sharing smart city policies, finding ways to foster economic growth and jointly addressing urban challenges.

“Furthermore, we aim to showcase the city’s advanced smart city technologies to numerous countries through collaborations with international cities, including Bulgaria, which is pushing to establish a brotherly relationship with Sejong,” he said. .

A growing number of overseas cities are showing interest in the city’s various developments, with 546 officials from 45 countries including Indonesia, Mongolia and Egypt visiting Sejong last year to study the city’s developments.

Sejong has actively sought to expand his international engagements beyond Asian partners such as China to enhance global collaboration and share city policies.

“Our strategy involves elevating Sejong’s global position as the administrative capital of Korea through city-to-city exchanges around the world and implementing international promotion strategies with world-class resources,” he explained.

Strengthen the city’s identity with Hangeul

In addition, Sejong is emphasizing its cultural identity, especially through Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, since the city is named after King Sejong the Great, who was responsible for the introduction of Hangeul in the 15th century.

“Hangeul is more than a Korean alphabet. We need to transform it into cultural content that can captivate people around the world,” Choi stressed.

The city is actively cultivating an environment laden with Hangeul and the Korean language, such as naming towns, roads, bridges and schools with names in pure Korean instead of Chinese characters, as is common in the rest of the country.

In addition, it fosters a community where residents and visitors can experience Hangeul and related culture by planning initiatives that can provide educational programs and cultural experience in Hangeul-themed settings.

Sejong aims to become a center for events and institutions related to Hangeul, consolidating that the city’s identity is related to Hangeul.

In addition to hosting events for Hangeul Day, a national holiday in Korea that falls on October 9, Sejong is working to bring Hangeul and Korean-related facilities to the city, such as the National Institute of the Korean Language and the King. Sejong Institute and establish more educational infrastructure to teach and study the language and its unique writing system.

These efforts aim to create a city that serves as a central hub for these important cultural and educational institutions.

“I envision transforming Sejong into a city that becomes a focal point for numerous Korea-related events,” Choi said.

Who is Choi Min-ho?

Choi is the mayor of Sejong, and he is the fourth mayor of Sejong since 2022.

Born in Daejeon, Choi studied law at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He began his career in 1980 as a civil servant in the Ministry of the Interior and Security.

He played a pivotal role in the establishment of Sejong City as a commissioner of the National City Administrative Construction Agency in 2011, an agency created to prepare the relocation of ministries and public agencies to the city. During this time, he spearheaded initiatives to rename towns, roads, bridges and schools after Sejong in pure Korean.