August 2021
Letter to All of the Residents of Songdo
I wish to congratulate the publishers of The Songdonian on the inaugural issue of the magazine dedicated to the lives of the people in Songdo, whom I affectionately call “Songdonians.”
In my capacity as the majority owner of Songdo International Business District (the central district within Songdo City, approximately the size of downtown Boston), Gale International guided the city’s transformation from ocean mudflats to urban metropolis.
On my first trip to Korea in 2001, Incheon Mayor Choi Kisun and Incheon official Park Yeon-soo took me in a helicopter above the long stretch of mudflats along the Yellow Sea. Mayor Choi told me that the Korean government envisioned a master-planned city that would serve as the iconic “front door” for the Korean economy, which was pivoting towards “knowledge-based” industries. It was an incredibly exciting time to be in Korea, to experience the energy of a nation that had pulled itself successfully out of the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s.
Since 2001 I have been wholly committed to this extraordinary goal: the creation of a new global city, built “from scratch,” as we say in America. In our leadership role as the majority owner, Gale International led the master plan development process of Songdo IBD, working with world-class urban planning experts from around the world.
The plan for Songdo IBD was based upon an enduring principle: adherence to the city-scale master plan. This master plan, which was approved by the City of Incheon in 2004, would ensure a superior quality of life for the citizens of Songdo. The first phase of Songdo IBD laid the foundation and set the international standard for a thriving global city. Following groundbreaking in 2005, we led the development of the city’s first key projects: Songdo Central Park, Convensia Convention Center, Chadwick International School, and Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea. These first projects and the greater masterplan were inspired by my experiences in New York, my hometown, as well as the great cities around world, where notable landmarks and civic spaces are located adjacent to large public parks that are experienced by all. We engaged international architects and engineers to design a “cityscape,” from top-to-bottom, east-to-west. Songdo IBD’s masterplan, which emphasizes quality of life and environmental sustainability, has won several international awards. This is something I am very proud of to this day.
As Songdo began to rise from the sea, it was developed in adherence to the approved master plan. In addition to the many residents, Gale brought in companies to activate the city. We brought the PGA TOUR to Songdo, where the TOUR’s first full-field championship tournament in Asia was held in 2010, followed by the Presidents Cup in 2015, which was viewed by over 1 billion households worldwide. Our partnership with Jack Nicklaus bore fruit in these global events, which put Songdo on the map for a global audience. In 2012, I was awarded by the Korean President for our company’s efforts in bringing the Green Climate Fund to Korea; the same year, I was also granted honorary Incheon citizenship by the mayor of Incheon. Both of these awards sit at my desk in New York and serve as a constant reminder of our efforts to activate the city of Songdo for the betterment of Korea.
Unlike a typical construction project, building a city is unique: cities are constantly evolving and growing, and they exist beyond our lifetimes, sometimes even for centuries. In the case of new “greenfield” cities such as Songdo, thoughtful planning is key. Songdo’s master plan called for phased development that was balanced between residential, commercial, civic, and public spaces. It was this purposeful, deliberate planning—looking forward 10, 20, 30 years—that allowed Songdo to be a success in its initial stage.
Today, the citizens of Songdo are in charge of its future. In order to ensure that the city fulfills its foundational goals, Songdonians must uphold the original vision, which included architectural design, global sustainability standards, and adherence to the original “cityscape” master plan.
I am proud to call myself a Songdonian. It has been the great honor of my life to lead the Songdo IBD project. I will continue to work with the citizens of Songdo to fulfill the original vision for a global city, designed and built to international standards. Gamsa habnida.
