Community Flourishes at Bangnim 2-dong Village School in Nam-gu, Gwangju

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (District Mayor Kim Byung-nae) is investing 9.1 billion KRW in urban regeneration projects in Bangnim 2-dong, including the establishment of basic living infrastructure and the renovation of old houses. To cultivate a community culture centered on village residents, they are introducing an eight-month village school program.

Nam-gu announced on the 21st that to create a foundation for resident-led village management and a resident-centered community after the completion of the urban regeneration project, they will operate the long-term project, Bangnim 2-dong Village School, from mid-November this year until June next year.

The Bangnim 2-dong Village School will be operated with phased goals for the initial, mid, and long-term stages.

In the early stage, Nam-gu plans to focus on strengthening residents' capabilities in the urban regeneration field and establishing governance based on human infrastructure.

Workshops and project briefings will be held for all age groups and merchants living in the village to increase understanding of the village school program and urban regeneration projects, aiming to encourage active participation from residents.

During the mid-term, through field trips and benchmarking of advanced sites, the period will focus on intensively discovering ideas directly created by village residents as urban regeneration implementation projects. This phase will mainly consist of lectures aimed at on-site experience, job creation, and discovering village profit models.

The long-term phase, which marks the finale, is when village leaders and new communities nurtured through participation in the village school will transform into the focal point of village community projects.

Residents will directly carry out pilot projects they have discovered and promote resident-proposed contest projects, concluding the eight-month journey with a presentation of the village school project’s achievements.

A Nam-gu official stated, “After grouping village school participants into teams and having them complete group missions, we will enhance residents’ practical capabilities and firmly establish the foundation for revitalizing the village community so that a resident-centered community culture can take deep root even after the urban regeneration project ends.”