The World According to Cosmos

Tag: yeongjongdo

  • Yeongjongdo the Hamptons of Seoul

    Yeongjongdo the Hamptons of Seoul

    peace forest
    peace forest

    Yeongjongdo the new Hamptons of Seoul

    favorite places in Yeongjongdo

    Yeongjongdo Redevelopment Proposals

    I retired from the US State Department in 2016 and chose to retire in Korea where my wife has family members. She also retired from service in the U.S. military.  We bought an apartment in Yeongjongdo, the island that houses the Incheon International airport.  

    I am happy living in Yeongjongdo, it is truly one of the nicest communities in Korea. Peaceful, not too much traffic, cheaper than living in Seoul, great restaurants, shopping,  including being close to COSTCO in Songdo, access to the beaches and mountains and close to the airport and easy to get into town by subway or driving.  And it is becoming more cosmopolitan every day.

    The Korean government has grandiose plans for the Yeongjongdo island – the home of the Incheon international airport.

    They want to turn it into another Singapore.  A more realistic option would be to turn it into the equivalent of the Hamptons, the fabled weekend getaway in NYC for the elite of the establishment.

    Yeoungjongdo is well positioned to play such a role already.  It is easy to get away from Seoul about a hour train ride from most parts of the city and with the expansion of the train service and lowering the excessive bridge toils due to come into effect this year it will be much easier to get away to the islands for the weekend and for several weeks during the summer months.

    With the building of bridges to Muido (completed) Jangbo, Shindo, and Ganghwa islands in the works, the whole island could become a great get away for the elite and middle class of Seoul alike.

    There are lots of restaurants, good  shopping and hotels, great beaches, nice mountains, fresh air, good schools and affordable nice housing everywhere and it now has  an international vibe – already becoming another Itaewon, the fabled international enclave in Seoul.

    With the expansion of the MAGLEV train around the island transpiration will become even easier.

    With the opening of the Casino resorts it will become a very popular  weekend designation particularly if the Korean government figures out a way to let Koreans gamble – my suggestion let Koreans gamble once a week (for a 24 hour pass)with a lost limit of 500$ per visit.  That will draw enough local residents to make the casino’s profitable but minimize the harmful effects of expanded gambling.

    Finally the Korean government should market Yeoungjondo as the Hamptons of the East – enough people would get the reference to make that a popular add.  And rename Unseo neighborhood as the New Itaewon and promote it as such. And another slogan could be come to Yeongjondo the best kept secret of Korea.  These adds should run in all the major media outlets in the US especially in the  NYT and Washington Post, CNN, WSJ etc and other international markets as well. and of course a sign at the airport “Welcome to Yeongjongdo Your Gateway to Korea”

    If the Korean government does this it will have tremendous economic and social benefits for the residents of Yeongjongdo islands, as well as increase tourism to Korea. 

     

  • Yeongjongdo Redevelopment Proposals

    Yeongjongdo redevelopment  proposals

    bike rail trail in Yeongjongdo

    The Korean government has ambitious plans for developing Youngjongdo where I live.   Here are my proposals for how I would develop the island.  I hope someone from the Incheon government is reading this and will take these proposals seriously,

    yeongjongdo

    Expand the Maglev all around the Island and link it to Incheon, Gangwhado, Muido, Jangbongdo islands

    airport maglev

    wiki on yeongjongdo

    casinos

    expand the Maglev

    First dust off the plan for extending the maglev train  around the island  ensuring that the maglev train connects sky city, Midan, Youngjong Unseo stations Cheonga international city, Geoman, and new KTX station being built in Gyeyang station, and ensure that the maglev links the new city casinos the waterfront development, the pier to WolmiDo, the Pier to Change island, and the beaches and to Muido. extend the Maglev to Songdo, and link it to the abandoned Asian games Maglev and extend it to Incheon station which would be the terminus.

    Build a cross island Maglev train connecting Jangbongdo, World Peace Forrest, Unseo station, Youngjong station, Midan, Casino complex, Sky City, a water park, and Wolmido where it would connect with the other Maglev line.

    Build Bridges with Maglev trains on them to Jangbongdo, and Ganghwa Islands

    Build bridges to Jangbongdo island, Wolmido, and Ganghwa Island, and have the maglev train and subway trains run on the bridge.  The terminus for the Maglev would be Incheon Station, Jangbongdo station, Ganghwa city station, and Gyeyang stations.

    Finish building a bridge/maglev train to Jangbongdo Island and to Ganghwa island with the terminus of the maglev being Ganghwa city.  the Maglev would connect to the gold line extension to Ganghwa island.  stop the policy of stopping some ARX trains at Geoman station, all trains should go to the terminus which will be Muido.

    Install mandatory solar power, solar water heaters, rooftop gardens, mini-wind turbines and water Harvesting systems on all buildings five story tall or taller

    Second provide a tax incentive to property owners to install solar water heating Solar power panels, rooftop gardens and trees and water harvesting systems for all buildings over five stories.  Installation of such systems would be mandatory for buildings taller than five stories, strongly encourages for all other buildings. I would feed all excess into the power grid and most buildings should be self-sufficient water. The garden products would be given to residents as a perk of living in the building.  I would also add mini-wind turbines on the top of call buildings. The incentive would be offered to all property owners but only mandatory four buildings over five stories. This would be a pilot project, if successful, they would roll it out nationwide starting in Incheon, and Seoul. Putting solar panels, solar water heaters, rooftop gardens and trees, mini wind turbines and water harvesting systems on top of all top buildings is something that is long overdue. 

    world peace forest

     

     

     

    Redevelop World Peace Forrest, turn old salt mines and Quarries  into parks

     


    Redevelop the world peace Park and promote it, running free shuttles from the Airport and  local subway stops and Maglev stops with a Maglev stop near the lake.  This would involve constructing a stream connecting the lake and the Lotus pond stocking the lake and the stream with fish, building a fishing pier in the lake for fishing and a restaurant/Snack bar big shop at the lake which would cook up any fish people caught.  Allow swimming at the lake.  Run free shuttle buses from subway stations and the airport and put a maglev train stop near one entrance to the park near the lake. Promote spending time at the World Peace Forrest parks for international visitors who have long overlays. Build a stream park from the World Peace Forest Park to the airport as an extension of the world peace forest. Stock the stream with fish. and extend it to the beaches.

    Turn the old abandoned salt mines and quarries into a park, and stock the lake with fish, and build a restaurant/snack bar and bait shop at the lake.  allow swimming at the lake.

    Connect the scream park by the cultural center to the steam park to the airport and to the world peace force, extend the stream park all the way to the Wolmido pier through Sky City., Extend the stream park past the airport to the beaches.  creating a walking trail between the beaches and the world peace forest and Paekdusan mountain, and to the Wolmido pier via Sky City stream  Extend the free shuttle from the airport and subway stops to the new Parks which should also have maglev Subway stop on them. Build walking trails in Kumsan mountains and link the other mountains together in an integrated walking trail.

    build island wide walking trails

    Build a walking bike trail all around the coast of the island as well with links to the World Peace Parks, the Quarry park, the salt lake park, and the mountain parks.  Build a walking trail linking the mountains on Muido to the other trail.  add a link to the Jangbongdo island trails once the bridge is connected.. Build a network of trails on Ganghwado including a coastal trail and like them to the Yeongjongdo trail network.  Build restaurants and bike rental shops along the walking trails,

    build regional fish market at wolmido Pier

    Rebuild the fish market at the Wolmido pier into a regional fish market destination and include a farmers’ market with locally grown produce.  add restaurants and a night market.

    More badminton and Tennis courts

    Build a badminton court and tennis courts at the park by the library I’m in the new Parks including at the piece of world peace parts

    turn Jangbongdo into Korean equivalent of the Hamptons

    Turn  Jangbongdo island into the Korean equivalent of the Hampton Islands as a weekend and summer vacation Second home for the upper middle class and business expat communities and offer land for diplomatic retreat housing as well.

    Allow Koreans to Gamble at least once a week

    Allow Koreans to gamble at the Paradise and the new casinos, perhaps limiting entry to one 24 period per week to minimize damage

    casino planss. 

    These casinos will not make it if they are foreigner only.

    Enactment of these proposals would go a long way to making  Yeongjongdo into one of the nicest places in Korea to live and work.