Songpa District () is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. Songpa is a part of the Gangnam region, along with the Gangnam and Seocho districts. Previously known as Wiryeseong, the first capital of the ancient kingdom of Baekje, Songpa is located in the southeastern part of Seoul. With roughly 652,000 residents, Songpa is also the largest district in Seoul by population.
Songpa was at the center of 1988 Summer Olympics, and most of the sports facilities associated with that event are located within the district.
In 2009, Songpa was named one of the world's most livable cities at the LivCom Awards presented by the United Nations Environment Programme.
Geography The district's terrain is primarily characterized by alluvial plains along the Han River, which facilitated rapid urban and commercial development since the late 20th century. It is bordered by the Han River to the north, providing a flat landscape suitable for large-scale apartment complexes and infrastructure.
History
Hanseong Baekje era (18 BCE – 660 CE) In 18 BCE, the kingdom of Baekje founded its capital city, Wiryeseong (), in what is believed to be the modern-day Songpa District. Baekje subsequently developed from a member state of the Mahan confederacy into one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
Several remains of city fortresses dating from this time exist in the Seoul area. Pungnap Toseong (), an earthen wall in Pungnap-dong (near Jamsil) in the southeastern part of Seoul, is widely believed to be the site of Wiryeseong. Another earthen wall, Mongchon Toseong (), is located nearby and also dates back to the early Baekje era.
Joseon Dynasty Songpa was historically a hub of commercial and military activity, the location of many specialty markets, merchants, and traders, as well as being the site of many battles of the Joseon era.
20th century – present Songpa, once a calm and rural area, underwent major land development efforts in the 1970s, which transformed the region into a new, urban town.
Songpa hosted the 1986 Asian Games, the 1988 Summer Olympics, and the 1988 Summer Paralympics. Seoul Olympic Stadium and Olympic Park were constructed for these events, along with a multi-lane expressway, the Olympic Village, and commercial facilities.
Before the Olympics in 1988, Songpa split from the Gangdong District and became its own administrative district.
In 2009, in pursuit of sustainable and environmentally-friendly urban development and participatory local autonomy, Songpa was developed as an autonomous district of Seoul, with the aim of becoming a world-class city.
Economy Commercial centers
To promote economic development, a high-tech business zone is being built in the neighborhood of Munjeong-dong. This zone falls into three categories: future business (semiconductors, automobiles, digital contents, batteries, biopharmaceuticals, digital TVs and displays, and mobile devices), specialized business (pharmaceuticals, medical instruments, medicine, health care, construction, and engineering service), and administrational function (court, prosecutor's office, and police office).
Garden 5 is a cultural center and the biggest distribution hub in Korea. It consists of five special blocks, including 'Garden 5 Life', a shopping mall with more than 8,300 shops.
Garak Market is a large wholesale agriculture and fish market. Opened in 1985, it was built to modernize agricultural and fishery distribution in Seoul. The market underwent remodeling until 2020.
The Lotte World Tower is a 123-story, 555-meter-tall skyscraper in Sincheon-dong completed in 2016. It has 624,642 m2 of floor space. Prior to its construction, it was estimated to cost 1.7 trillion won and create more than 23,000 construction jobs. It became one of the most recognizable structures in Seoul. Lotte World Tower is one of the tallest structures in the world, and is the tallest skyscraper in all of OECD countries. In 2018, the building commemorated the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the New Year's eve with a LED laser show and fireworks.
Revitalization of regional economy
Focusing on reduction in unemployment rate as a way to overcome economic crisis, Songpa District launched a handful of projects. First of all, Songpa employed 120 people in computerizing important data of the district. Through this computerization, Songpa contributed to green growth by saving paper. A special budget of 5 billion won—raised through savings of incentives, fringe benefits, and service operation expenses—was used to create 1,270 new jobs, including administrative home-delivery service, anti-smoking campaigns, welfare service, and help for the elderly.
Songpa sought to revitalize regional economy by easing construction regulation and upgrading land use regulation through urban planning. For instance, the "Olympic Street maintenance and improvement project" was introduced to convert motel zones in Bang-i, Sincheon, and Jamsil built for the 1988 Seoul Olympics into commercial building zones. Similarly, the "Songpa Daero maintenance and improvement project" developed a 283,500 m2 area around the Seokchon station intersection and Songpa Daero into a commercial area.
Resource recycling
To ease school-related expenses for residents, Songpa District runs a recycling pool for used school uniforms and books. In this center, a school uniform costs only 4,000 won. In 2008, 1,541 uniforms were sold and 116 were exchanged among the total 2,043 donated.
Recycling centers in Geoyeo-dong and Jamsil-dong offer used products at reasonable prices compared to market prices. Products such as home appliances, clothes, and shoes are donated from local residents, before being repaired and refurbished for resale.
In the autumn, ginkgo leaves are gathered and sent to Nami Island, a tourist attraction in Gangwon Province, to be used as a sightseeing attraction for tourists. This recycling allows Songpa to save the annual disposal cost of 12 million won.
Education Songpa District is implementing a variety of education policies for its residents. This is being done by expanding libraries, improving school environments, providing homestays for foreign students, promoting public English education, and supporting students from low-income families. These policies help produce students with great skills, provide a lifelong education for the residents, tap and develop individuals with talents, and strengthen the community.
Library expansion
Songpa District has four small libraries ("Small Library on Pine Tree Hill") close to residential areas. Due to this ease of access, they are also called "Close-to-Life Libraries".
Through the "School Library Open-to-The-Public" system, Songpa turned unused areas at schools into libraries open to residents. In doing so, the district can save money by using these otherwise-unused spaces, while the schools can supply more books supported by Songpa District office.
Unlike typical libraries, the "Children-Only Library" provides children with a playground where they can enjoy playing as well as reading. This library has more than 30,000 books and various facilities such as a child-care room, a theater, and a foreign book room.
School safety and improvements
In 37 school zones in Songpa District, CCTV cameras (90 inside and 17 outside of schools) are installed to prevent accidents and crimes. Safe routes to schools are ensured by paving access roads to schools with vivid colors, paving non-skid treads, painting traffic lanes, and building speed bumps, safety barriers, traffic signals, and traffic safety signs.
To provide a pleasant and safe environment in and around schools, Songpa supports the operational costs for school libraries, improvement of facilities for providing meals at schools, expansion of video and audio equipment, replacement of desks and chairs, and installation of artificial grass.
Childcare center
Songpa District opened "Children-Only Multiplex Facility," which has a theater, experiential education room, kid's book cafe and cafeteria. This facility is aimed at provoking children's imagination and helping them face challenges and also respect for their neighbors.
Songpa District runs 33 childcare centers, 6 of which specialize in infant care. 25 childcare centers operate from 7:30 pm to midnight especially for double-income families and single-parent families.
Student exchange
Through a student exchange program with sister cities, local and foreign students get an opportunity to experience each other's culture and life for a month. The program enables 100 students to visit the sister city
Improvement of public education
Songpa has established programs to support English education in its public primary schools. For example, in the "Culture Experience English Class", 260 students from 37 primary schools in Songpa go on a field trip using only English. In the "English Village Tour", sixth-grade students stay for 3 days in a specially built village named Pungnap Camp, using only English.
The district will be allocating native English-speaking tutors in every primary school by 2010 and specially supporting 19 schools (12 primary and 7 secondary schools) with an "After-School English Teacher" who would lead after-school, supplementary lessons and special activity classes.
Furthermore, Songpa District designated a school district covering 12,852 m2 area in Munjeong-dong development district in order to invite autonomous private high schools, high schools with special purposes, or schools for foreign students. Songpa also supports 120 students in two schools for special education for the gifted in mathematics and science.
Support for students from low-income families
For students from low-income or unemployed families, Songpa adopted "One-Account-per-One-citizen" movement in which 10 residents save 10,000 won a month for a year to help one student. As of May 2009, 673.8 million won was saved in 5,615 bank accounts, and 93.5 million won was granted to 103 students. Songpa aims to save a total of 5 billion won by 2011.
The "Mentorship Program" is an after-class program for students from low-income families, in which mentors—consisting of college students, current and former teachers, and other volunteers—visit students once a week for a year to give them study assistance and guidance counselling. This one-on-one program is the largest of its kind in Seoul.
Educational programs for women To support women's economic activities, Songpa launched a "Town-visiting Local Tax Law Fair". This program helps women better understand local tax law by explaining diverse taxable and non-taxable laws and pretest cases filed against the office.
There is a "Car Maintenance Class for Female Drivers", which teaches drivers how to change a tire and take emergency measures.
Culture
Heritage There are 5 state-designated cultural properties in Songpa.
Songpasandae-nori, a talchum (mask dance drama) popularized in the 19th century, is designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Art centers
The Songpa Culture and Art Center is planned to be completed by 2011 on the eastern side of Seokchon Lake. The center will accommodate as many as 1,500 people with its 3 floors and 2 underground floors. Various genres of arts including musicals, concerts, ballet, and modern dance will be performed at the center.
The weightlifting stadium in Olympic Park was transformed into Woori Financial Art Hall, a modernized musical theater with 1,260 seats. The Charlotte Musical Center, another art hall with its interior and exterior of medieval European design, performs more than 1,000 musicals a year.
Hanseong Baekje Culture Festival