‘Slow City Mokpo’ Captures the Aesthetics of Slowness in the Urban Center

Specialized Training Courses in Slow Life Design and Tourism 진행

Mokpo City created a hydrangea garden within Yudalsan Sculpture Park to establish a regional environment of a Slow City. Photo by Mokpo City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeong Seunghyun] Mokpo City, Jeonnam, is currently focused on finding regional value by choosing philosophical change over the reputation of being a Slow City.

On the 24th, the city explained that it is promoting various projects in line with the spirit of Slow City while strengthening human resources, and to sustainably advance the Slow City initiative, it operated the 'Slow Community Leader Course,' a Slow City certification program, for three days starting from the 21st.

This training is the third course; last year in October and November, the city operated the 'Slow Life Designer Course' and the 'Slow Tourism Course,' with 63 people obtaining Slow City certification. The city plans to expand awareness of Slow City through citizen instructor training in elementary, middle, and high schools as well as in each village.

The city was recognized for aspects aligned with the Slow City spirit, such as communities living in respect of the ecological environment and efforts to preserve local culture and arts, and was certified as a Slow City at the International Slow City General Assembly on June 22, 2019.

Since then, despite COVID-19, the city has steadily promoted education to broaden awareness of Slow City and developed three types of Mokpo snacks (Mokhwassom bread, Bipa dacquoise, and seasoned seaweed shrimp chips), which were registered as a 'Slow City Regional Specialty Joint Brand Trademark' after review by the Korea Slow City Headquarters.

To strengthen the Slow City characteristics, the city is also creating conditions for walking tours.

The representative project is the 30-ri Coastal Flavor Road, a walking trail divided into five sections covering a total of 11.7 km from Peace Square through Gatbawi Rock, Namhang, and Samhakdo to Mokpo Maritime University. In addition, Gohado Island is extending the marine deck 738 meters in the opposite direction from its current orientation.

The modern historical and cultural space in the old downtown area is undergoing underground power line construction, and in the future, through pedestrian environment improvement projects and the 1897 Port Opening Cultural Street road construction project, it will be transformed into a center for walking tourism.

Efforts are also being made to create gardens befitting a Slow City; 3 billion KRW is being invested to create a sea garden on Oedaldo Island, and having been selected for a project hosted by the Korea Forest Service, from 2022, 290,000 square meters around Ipamsan Mountain will be developed into the 'Gatbawi Provincial Garden.'

Mokpo, maintaining its Slow City characteristics as a COVID-19 clean area, managed to limit the decrease in tourists to 6.5% last year, despite most local governments experiencing a 30-40% or more decline.

Mayor Kim Jongsik stated, “Highlighting and specializing intrinsic resources for citizens and tourists to enjoy together is the direction Slow City Mokpo is heading,” adding, “We will continue to raise Mokpo’s brand value by creating a sustainable city through policies that balance and harmonize ecology, economy, and culture.”