IN THIS day and age, when globalisation is sweeping across the world and economies are scrambling to meet the challenges that are thrown up, one city is reaching far into its past to claim its place in the future.
It wants to be the Soul of Asia, a city that is not only vibrant and progressive but also one that cares - for people as well as the environment. And it's making the leap now, with multi-billion dollar masterplans and a big dose of ambition and commitment. That city is Seoul.
It will draw on a heritage that stretches back to ancient times, including 600 years as South Korea's capital, to link its distant past with the future that it's carving out for itself. A future where it transforms from a hard city into a soft city.
According to the face behind the drive: "In the past, city competitiveness came from its function, efficiency and buildings. But now, it comes from creativity, culture and art. Speed, development and severance are out; and contemplation, ecology and sympathy are in."
Mayor Oh Se Hoon adds: "The Seoul metropolitan government has taken the vanguard of upholding such lasting values and will continue to do so. Creative administration is the basis of all this, and Seoul city will be reborn as a city of creativity and culture based on that creative administration."
If there is any doubt about such a tack, consider that Seoul has been designated World Design Capital 2010 by the International Design Alliance, a strategic venture between the international organisations representing design.
The way forward for Seoul, a city of 10.4 million people, is via what some people call "culturenomics", or the tapping of its unique culture - from lifestyle and fashion to entertainment and tourism - as a new engine of economic growth and citizen well-being.
Says Ahn Ho Sang, president of Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture: "The spirit of the ancient Chosun dynasty will continue in people today. Previously, we relied on a Western approach. Now, we want to draw on Korean influence to move forward, to be competitive.
"In the 20th century, science and technology was the measure of progress. In the 21st century, creativity is the new yardstick since everyone has about the same level of science and technology.
"What we are primarily doing is to market Seoul - Seoul's culture, arts and colour - so it stands out in the world."
Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture is the sponsor for Hi Seoul Festival 2008, an annual spring tourism draw.
However, from this year, Hi Seoul Festival will be a year-long affair, with different themes in each of the four seasons.
The highlight of the spring festival, based on the theme palace, was the May palace at Seoul Plaza. The digital creation was designed to demonstrate Korea's tradition and IT prowess. And all events at this palace for the people and by the people and the five surviving royal residences share one attribute: interactivity.
The idea, as Mr Ahn puts it, is to get people involved in the action, not just as an audience. Meanwhile, one of the key projects in Seoul's huge undertaking is the Hangang Renaissance - the rejuvenation of River Han.
During the nation's modernisation process after two devastating wars, World War II and the Korean War, the river emerged as a boundary, with the eastern and southern sections of the city growing much more rapidly than the western and northern sections.
This, the city government said, led to problems in achieving the goal of balanced development and integration.
Mayor Oh does not mince his words when he says: "The Han River, for all its vitality, serves more to symbolise the economic disparity between the more prosperous Gangnam area and the less prosperous Gangbuk area." Gangnam is south of the river and Gangbuk, north.
"Gangbuk, considered the economic heart of the city, has remained inactive and must be injected with fresh blood to stimulate not only Seoul's economy but also that of Korea, and to propel both forward into the global economy," he said.
The Hangang Renaissance involves restoration - of the natural environment and historic sites and their subsequent integration - and creation - urban spaces, a higher level of utilisation, and a highly sophisticated civic culture.
When completed in stages by 2030, the Hangang is envisioned to be a worldfamous tourist attraction and a river of peace, life and co-existence.
To get the people of Seoul to share his vision, Mayor Oh takes his message of dynamism to them at least twice a week. Besides making television and radio broadcasts, he meets groups of residents.
He tells BT at a dinner he hosted for the international press that people become more receptive to the message when they are able to ask questions or make suggestions directly.
Getting the civil service to adjust to the new dynamics turned out to be a slightly different ballgame. Mr Oh says that he had to change the way things were done by civil servants so much that his critics called his reforms "cruel".
No more is there an iron rice bowl. Nor is length of service a reason for reward.
Mr Oh says that he applies the carrot-and-stick approach. After letting the reform message sink in, he duly rewards
those that have performed to the new benchmarks. Those that don't, he says, can't blame him for taking action according to the new regime.
To Mr Oh, Seoul is at a turning point that would make it a great city, not just a good city. "It is on the point of becoming an economic and cultural centre with global competitiveness. The transition to greatness demands a creative new design and vision."
And one such design is Dreamhub - the redevelopment of Yongsan international business district into a landmark that is transit-oriented and pedestrian-friendly, with both residential and commercial facilities and lots of greenery.
The Dreamhub consortium comprises both the public and private sectors. Korail has a 29.9 per cent stake while the Samsung group leads a posse of companies that own the rest of the venture.
Recognising the competition from the likes of Beijing and Tokyo, Seoul has sprinted ahead with a vision of becoming a clean and attractive global city. And the push towards achieving that vision is driven by three key strategies.
One is a conscious transformation of the civil service into one that caters to citizens' satisfaction. That is, making civil servants increasingly customer-centric.
Next is increasing Seoul's brand value through global city marketing. Already, people in the region are taking note of the Korean Wave - of pop music, stage acts and soap operas. Serials such as Winter Sonata and Jewel in the Palace have even spawned tourism attractions in the country.
The final strategy is changing people's mindsets - to encourage greater creativity and transformation. The idea is to inject fresh enthusiasm in everything that Koreans do, from work to play.
And when everything falls into place, Seoul could well be ahead of the pack and achieve its tagline of Soul of Asia.
The writer is BT's deputy chief sub editor.
This article was first published in The Business Times on July 3, 2008.
