Great Cities do not become great by accident. Great Cities are great because they are determined to be so. Seoul braved the high seas, lost sight of the shore, drifted to uncertainties, stormed by criticisms, yet remained steadfast, persistent and successful. Now she earned her rightful place – a World City. Seoul is now a world center for Global Advertising, Banking and Accountancy Service. Soon, she’ll be more. She has a direct and tangible effect on international affairs especially in politics, economy, technology, arts, architecture and even fashion. Seoul is a prime city admired even by her sister world cities for her competent leaders, advanced civilization and ambitious projects.
The first time I visited Seoul was in December of 1999. The city appeared to me as a very aggressive city. She successfully made a name in the world economy through the export of cars, petrochemicals and electronic products. Her fast-paced progress left all other Asian cities open-mouthed with envy. Seoul became the instigator of the Asian Economic Miracle, where other tiger economies followed suit in a phenomenon described as the “Miracle of the Hangang.”
But unlike other Asian capitals, Seoul’s fortitude is not temporal. Her resilience was highlighted when Asia became a victim of the 1997 Financial Crisis. Seoul showed the world how good domestic management, patriotism and discipline helped her survived the said crisis almost unscathed. Until now, other capital cities were not able to recover.
With a good crisis management strategy and a performing economy, Seoul became a model for hopeful cities around the globe. She taught them lessons they should have learned a long time ago: to dream big, to work hard and be disciplined to attain this dream, to be creative when resources get scarce, and when this dream becomes a reality, to be responsible for its incidents.
Seoul has this penchant for dreaming of the impossible. But judging from what she already achieved, nothing seemed impossible for her. Seoul’s government is determined to make her the center of international economic activities for the benefit her constituents. A quick perusal on some of her projects allows us to have a glimpse on Seoul’s sky-scraping ambitions, restive imagination and boundless creativity.
In general, Seoul’s projects are designed to make her citizens healthier and happier. And her government doesn’t seem to mind the costs. The $243 million - Seoul Forest Project in Ttukseom area, for instance, is a leisure park designed to promote the well being of the Seoulites. The park provides some breathing space for busy city dwellers – where they can relax with their families, enjoy its recreational facilities or simply breathe fresh air. The Seoulites themselves helped built the park by planting 48,000 trees. It is also the home of 423,000 species of flora and fauna.
The $22 billion - New Town Development Project at Gangbuk aimed at spurring development and easing the disparity of standards of living between Seoul local areas. Upon its completion in 2012, the project envisions a pleasing residential environment, with carefully planned living spaces and educational institutions while maintaining its regional characteristics, history and culture. The ultimate goal is to raise the standard of living in Gangbuk.
Seoulites’ creativity and imagination is highlighted with the establishment of the Digital Media City (DMC) - a breathtaking project of grand proportions. I raise my hat in salute of Seoul, the center of new economy in Asia! Such aspiration is beyond what other tailing Asian cities can imagine much less realize. The DMC project, launched in 2002 with a projected completion date of 2010, is a world-class complex bringing together world digital media industries specifically broadcasting, films, games, music, e-learning and the like in one setting - Sangamdong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. This project is a powerhouse of world creativity nurtured in Seoul.
Speaking before London businessmen, the then Mayor Goh Kun enticed potential participants to the DMC project with ardor and persistence. While he acknowledged the existence of similar ventures like Ireland’s Digital Park and Malaysia’s Multimedia Super Corridor, he emphasized the uniqueness of the DMC. He stressed that DMC will be supported by vibrant Research and Development Centers which will continuously create new products and trends and thus stimulate a steady market.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s support and guaranty for this project is overwhelming. Seoul’s offer is so comprehensive that even specific needs of every investor are meticulously attended to, from business permits processing to financial assistance for priority investments. In addition, the present Mayor Oh Se-hoon vowed to expand the housing, educational and medical service facilities for foreign investors and employees living in Seoul. Last year, the city inaugurated the Yongsan Foreign School, Asia’s best international school to cater the educational needs of foreign residents doing business in Seoul and their families.
But more than any of Seoul’s state-of-the-art facilities are its technologically prepared citizens. Seoul is the home of ten million future-ready people. She has a large educated and IT-savvy workforce to back all her projects up. Seoulites are also passionately honing their English communication skills to be globally competitive.
And more importantly, Seoul taught the world a lesson: being a World City comes with a responsibility – that of being concerned for our environment. This is shown in its priority projects and expenditures. All of Seoul’s elected mayors view environmental conservation as an important feature of the city’s long-term development goals. The present Mayor Oh Se-hoon envisions ‘an environmentally friendly city where nature is in harmony with people.’ He dreamed of a city with a clean air and green environment and a citizenry of healthy long lives.
The restoration of the Cheonggyecheon River is a grand illustration of what Seoul can do and how she prioritized environmental restoration, history and cultural heritage. For centuries, this freshwater stream freely and openly flows through Seoul area and was a mute witness to the simplicity of life of the older Korean generations. In old photographs and prints, one may see women washing clothes and children bathing in its pristine waters. However, over four decades ago, this river was paved over in an aggressive stance to catch up with the fast-phasing economic development. After the being covered, infrastructures flourished around the area. Expressways, major roads, buildings and commercial establishments grew all over. The Seoul Metropolitan Government, in unparalleled efforts and enormous costs, has to rip down all these improvements to revive the river. Before its restoration, the present generation may not even know that Cheonggyecheon River continuously flows beneath a two-story expressway!
Now the river is back in its former grandeur and with it, the renaissance of Seoul’s history and culture. This restoration project, albeit very expensive, provides a breathing space for a rather congested capital. It also revives Korean interests of their own heritage. It caught world admiration, for one can read about it in almost all major newspapers in the world. To scholars and students, it is an architectural feat. Tourists and locals admired its splendor and spoke of it almost poetically - especially at night, when the lights bring out the drama of what nature and art can offer to a weary urban heart. At present, ten million people have come down the river and wade in its waters, the way Germans adored Rhine River.
In conquering big dreams, creativity, persistence and responsibility, no other Asian city comes close to Seoul. For indeed being World City is not only about economic prosperity, industrialization or being a key political and economic player in the global village, it is about how a city takes good care of her constituents, how she conserves her ecosystem and how she preserves for posterity her cultural heritage as she pursues her goals to become a political, economic and social world superpower. Go Seoul!
