SIHEUNG, SOUTH KOREA - Siheung City, having relentlessly pursued its vision of becoming the 'Representative City of Korea, K-Siheung City,' is now entering its fourth year under the 8th popularly elected administration and is beginning to see tangible results.

Despite challenging circumstances last year, Siheung City diligently looked after the livelihoods of its citizens and boldly invested in the future. By implementing various economic revitalization policies, it supported the recovery of citizens' daily lives and strengthened basic administration through the reinforcement of borough-centered administration. Furthermore, its efforts in cultivating future growth engines such as bio, environment, and marine leisure are yielding concrete outcomes, accelerating the city's development.

Siheung Mayor Lim Byeong-taek stated, "With a sense of mission to build a bridge for Siheung's next 100 years, I will dedicate all my efforts this year to the leap forward of K-Siheung City."

◇ 2025's Top Priority is 'People's Livelihood': All-Out Effort to Restore Citizens' Daily Lives

Amidst the ongoing economic difficulties this year, Siheung City plans to focus all its efforts on revitalizing the economy to help citizens regain their ordinary lives.

Firstly, it proactively implemented a 10% discount on Siheung Pay (Sihwa Currency) at the beginning of the year as seed money for stimulating domestic demand. All Siheung City employees also participated in a win-win camp, visiting and voluntarily spending in local neighborhood commercial districts.

Furthermore, the city plans to establish a comprehensive plan for revitalizing commercial districts that reflects the characteristics of each district and consumption trends. It also intends to actively promote customized projects for commercial districts through the 'Commercial District Revitalization Center' to alleviate the difficulties faced by small business owners.

◇ Establishing a 'Borough-Centered Administrative System' to Get Closer to Citizens

Another key focus of Siheung City's public welfare policies is borough-centered close-knit administration. To swiftly and accurately resolve administrative issues closely related to residents' lives, such as welfare and safety, the city is striving to realize borough-centered administration based on the Dong (borough) Administrative Welfare Centers, which are the closest points of contact with citizens.

A prime example is the Dong Mayor's Ombudsman system, implemented to realize responsibility for residents' daily grievances at the borough level. When a complaint is filed through the Dong Mayor's Ombudsman installed in each borough, the respective borough and relevant departments work together to resolve the issue quickly and accurately.

The operation of the Dong-level Siheung Care SOS Center is also strengthening the public nature of care services. A key feature is that any citizen in need of care can receive care services.

◇ Siheung's 'Future' is the 'K-Bio Steel Mill': Accelerating the Bio-Specialized Complex

In particular, Siheung City is realizing its dream of becoming a leading bio city in Korea by successfully attracting the National Advanced Bio-Specialized Complex last year. The bio-specialized complex is a designated area by the government to secure ultra-gap technology in bio and create a bio hub. Siheung City aims to create a world-leading mega bio cluster in cooperation with Gyeonggi Province and Incheon City.

The city is focusing on the development of each zone this year, building the foundation for the bio-specialized complex. Currently, Jong Kun Dang, a leading domestic pharmaceutical company, has been selected as the preferred bidder to move into Research Lot 3-1 in the Baegot District of the Gyeonggi Free Economic Zone, and a negotiation team has been formed to finalize the business plan.

The Wolgot Station area plans to change its development plan and commence site development in the second half of this year, while the Jeongwang District will establish a development strategy to lift development restrictions. 

◇ Establishing Siheung's First Science High School to Enhance the Prestige of an Educational City

Siheung City has been striving to become a leading educational city in Korea, aiming to be a city where people come to learn. Through the nation's first borough-based community education autonomy system, it is building a borough-centered education support system and realizing education that transcends schools and communities. In addition, it has designated and operates Siheung-style education special zones by theme and region, such as culture and arts, the 4th industrial revolution, and environmental ecology, so that children can fully enjoy the excellent educational resources of the community.

In particular, Siheung City solidified its position as a prestigious educational city by attracting the (tentatively named) Siheung Science High School in February. The (tentatively named) Siheung Science High School is the first science high school in Siheung and the second in Gyeonggi Province, and it is expected to contribute to nurturing local talent and resolving educational inequality.

The (tentatively named) Siheung Science High School aims to open in 2030 and plans to promote a regionally specialized curriculum focusing on bio and life sciences, and artificial intelligence (AI) in cooperation with the (tentatively named) Siheung Baegot Seoul National University Hospital and the (tentatively named) Siheung Seoul National University Dental Hospital.

◇ Shihwa Lake Embraces Global Environmental Issues: Towards 'Shihwa Lake in the World'

Another future growth engine for Siheung City is Shihwa Lake. Siheung City has focused on the ecological and historical value of Shihwa Lake, which has been reborn from a 'lake of death' to a 'lake of life.'

Last year, Siheung City promoted various commemorative projects to mark the 30th anniversary of the creation of Shihwa Lake and achieved several tangible results through the spread of related agendas. Gyeonggi Province designated 'Shihwa Lake Day' based on an ordinance, and a government-level 'Shihwa Lake Development Strategy Master Plan' was also established.

Furthermore, Siheung City plans to attract global attention to Shihwa Lake by hosting the World Lake Conference and to develop Shihwa Lake into a center for the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry by attracting international environmental conferences, exhibitions, and fairs. 

◇ Siheung's New Landmark: 'Geobukseom Marine Leisure Cluster'

Geobukseom (Turtle Island), an artificial island shaped like a turtle built in Shihwa Lake, is emerging as a new landmark of Siheung, becoming a center for marine leisure tourism on the West Coast. Siheung City aims to revitalize the marine tourism industry and achieve a significant leap in the local economy through the establishment of a marine leisure cluster.

Currently, Geobukseom has completed the construction of marine leisure tourism hubs such as 'Sihwa Wave Park,' the world's largest artificial surfing park, 'Aqua Pet Land,' Korea's first integrated ornamental fish complex, 'Geobukseom Marina Scenic Bridge,' a famous spot for sunrise and sunset, and a 35m-deep 'Deep Diving Pool.' It has already established itself as a representative landmark of Siheung.

In particular, as Geobukseom has been designated as the nation's first special zone for water and leisure sports, 228 billion KRW will be invested in 14 specialized projects by 2029. Furthermore, this year, the 'World Surf League (WSL) Siheung Korea Open' international surfing competition and the 'National Marine Sports Festival' will be held based on Geobukseom's marine leisure facilities and tourism infrastructure, including accommodations.

◇ Building a 'Rail-Centered Transportation Network' including Sinansan Line and Gyeonggang Line: Becoming a Hub of the Metropolitan Transportation Network

Siheung City is also focusing on building a rail-centered metropolitan transportation network. As improving public transportation conditions is a long-cherished wish of citizens, the city plans to improve accessibility to Seoul, the metropolitan area, and other regions by focusing on the construction of railway networks centered on the Sinansan Line and the Gyeonggang Line.

The Sinansan Line, connecting Siheung City to Yeouido in Seoul, is currently under construction at Mae Hwa Station, with the goal of completion and opening in the second half of 2026. The Wolgot-Pangyo section of the Gyeonggang Line is accelerating with the aim of completing construction around 2030, and Jang Gok Station, a new station, is progressing smoothly after the implementation plan was approved in April last year. In addition, the construction of Hajeong Station on the Seohae Line, which will contribute to the public transportation infrastructure in the central part of Siheung City, secured economic feasibility and finally passed the deliberation of the expert demand verification committee in December 2024.

The city is also making efforts to establish a metropolitan railway network in the northern part of Siheung. The feasibility study for private investment in the Second Gyeongin Line and the Sin Guro Line is underway, and the results are expected in the first half of this year. The city plans to realize the most efficient metropolitan railway network in the northern region by linking the Sincheon-Sinrim Line and the Gwangmyeong-Siheung District North-South Railway, for which inclusion in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan is being requested.

The extension of the GTX-C line to Oido Station, which will contribute to the expansion of metropolitan express railways in the southwestern part of the Seoul metropolitan area as well as Siheung City, is being pursued as part of Gyeonggi Province's GTX Plus project.