Jinju City, Old Jinju Station Reborn as 'Ilho Square Jinju Station'

Past and Future Coexist: Jinju Emerging as a Tourist Attraction

The opening ceremony of Ilho Square Jinju Station is taking place.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Jinju City, Gyeongnam, completed the remodeling construction of the old Jinju Station, which had been underway since August last year, and held an opening ceremony on the 31st under the newly named "Ilho Plaza Jinju Station," officially commencing its operation.

"Ilho Plaza Jinju Station" is a name given to express the historical fact that the old Jinju Station was located in the No. 1 transportation plaza of the urban planning facility in 1968 and was Jinju Station.

About 50 people, including Mayor Jo Gyu-il, members of the National Assembly, provincial councilors, city councilors, local community leaders, and village residents, attended the opening ceremony, which was held simply.

The remodeling project of the old Jinju Station was pursued as part of the railway land regeneration project, one of the three major projects of the 7th local government administration's Prosperous Jinju initiative. After purchasing the entire old Jinju Station building with an area of 549.14㎡ from Korea Railroad Corporation in 2020, the city has been actively promoting the project since 2021.

The city restored the original exterior and improved the insulation performance of the walls and roof to maintain the form of the old Jinju Station. Inside, an exhibition space was installed to operate as a unique exhibition hall characteristic of Jinju, planning to hold permanent exhibitions related to the old Jinju Station and various special exhibitions.

The permanent exhibitions include "Gyeongjeon Line and Jinju Station," which provides an overview of the history of the Gyeongjeon Line and the old Jinju Station; the "Railroad Aptitude Test (Experience Facility)," implemented to prevent human error accidents among railroad safety workers or reduce the possibility of such occurrences; and displays of old Jinju Station staff uniforms, photos, and artifacts.

The special exhibitions, under the theme "Memory and Record," showcase works from the nationwide railroad story contest held in September 2019 titled "From Jinju to the World, From the World to Jinju," including "Carrying Memories Along the Railroad" and "Come Visit Our Home," which focuses on the past, present, and future of the vehicle maintenance depot. These exhibitions provide various attractions that recall past memories and share them with the present era.