[Seoul District News] Gwanak-gu Achieves First Milestone in Gwanaksan Park 24 Project, a Public Pledge of the 8th Term, Transforming Damaged Areas into Exercise and Rest Spaces for Residents; Gangnam-gu Opens ‘Public Parking Lot’ Underground and ‘Hyugadeun’ Park Above at Yeoksam Cultural Park with 247-Car Capacity; Seodaemun-gu Adds Water Playground to Existing Gajaeul Children’s Park, Jungang Neighborhood Park, and Munhwachon Children’s Park
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) has created a forest healing space where residents can enjoy the benefits of nature and culture nearby anytime in the urban area and regain vitality.
In the 8th term of the elected government, Gwanak-gu is focusing on the ‘Gwanaksan Park 24 Project,’ which specializes 24 neighborhood parks at the foot of Gwanaksan Mountain by presenting a ‘platform for life healing’ that integrates nature and culture.
This year, securing a budget of 1.1 billion KRW from Seoul City, the ‘Nakseongdae Forest Park’ was completed in the area of San 35-8, Bongcheon-dong, marking the first achievement of the project.
The newly created ‘Nakseongdae Forest Park’ was previously a long-term unexecuted urban park, suffering from unauthorized cultivation and use as a storage yard, resulting in poor landscape conditions. However, after more than two years of effort, land compensation and park redevelopment were completed, transforming it into a diverse and pleasant space.
The park includes a multipurpose sports ground and various exercise facilities where people of all ages can enjoy physical activities, prioritizing user satisfaction.
Additionally, gardens themed around familiar forests such as birch tree paths and rose gardens were created, offering colorful scenery throughout the four seasons. Small parking spaces were also installed to accommodate users coming from afar, enhancing convenience.
The name ‘Nakseongdae Forest Park’ was chosen to avoid confusion with the nearby Nakseongdae (Gang Gam-chan) Park and was inspired by the local apartment name and its location at the foot of Gwanaksan Mountain.
On the 9th at 2 p.m., a completion ceremony will be held to commemorate the transformation of the area from a poor landscape zone into a pleasant and healthy park, inviting local residents.
Next year, the district plans to secure 5.1 billion KRW in national and city budgets to create four new parks in the Yangji, Haneul, Wonsin, and Mokgol mountain districts of Gwanaksan.
A district official stated, “We expect the park to play a significant role not only as a place for exercise and rest but also as a community-friendly space. We hope it will become a representative local attraction alongside Nakseongdae (Gang Gam-chan) Park. We will do our best to ensure the remaining Gwanaksan Park 24 Project proceeds smoothly.”
Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) is opening the ‘Hyu (休) Garden,’ a cultural healing park, on the 16th by constructing a four-story underground public parking lot at Yeoksam Cultural Park to solve the shortage of public parking spaces in the area.
Yeoksam-dong is a densely populated urban area with an average daily traffic volume of 40,000 to 50,000 vehicles, but nearby public parking lots are limited to two: Yeoksam Cultural Park off-street public parking lot (51 spaces) and Yeoksam 1-dong Community Center public parking lot (basement floors 1-2, 118 spaces). There was also a lack of land for new parking lot construction.
Accordingly, the district utilized part of Yeoksam Cultural Park site (Yeoksam-dong 635-1, 4,534㎡) to build an underground parking lot and created a park on top, achieving both the resolution of urban parking difficulties and providing a resting space.
The underground public parking lot, which began construction in October 2019, was completed with a total project cost of about 28 billion KRW and will open from the 19th. It has a total floor area of 10,736㎡ spanning from basement level 1 to 4, accommodating 247 vehicles. This is 4.8 times larger than the currently operated Yeoksam Cultural Park off-street parking lot. The parking spaces include 148 general, 72 for women, 8 for disabled, 8 for electric vehicles, and 11 for compact cars, with 8 electric vehicle chargers installed. Parking fees are 300 KRW per 5 minutes without a basic fee, amounting to 3,600 KRW per hour, which is about 40% cheaper than nearby private parking lots charging around 6,000 KRW per hour.
Yeoksam Cultural Park, loved as a resting place for local residents and nearby office workers, has been newly developed as ‘Yeoksam Cultural Hyu (休) Garden’ on the surface above the underground parking lot. It features 76 species of 20,318 trees including pine and azalea, and 20,440 flowers, transforming it into a relaxing space for residents. Additionally, a wall fountain and media facade were installed to provide new attractions for visitors to nearby facilities such as Kukkiwon and the National Library for Children and Young Adults, as well as foreign tourists.
The opening ceremony on the 16th at 2 p.m. will feature various events including pungmulnori (traditional Korean percussion music), resident congratulatory performances, a special performance by the World Vision Children’s Choir, and a video performance by the Korean Traditional Music High School team.
Gangnam-gu Mayor Jo Seong-myeong said, “The newly created underground public parking lot at Yeoksam Cultural Park resolves urban parking difficulties with its large capacity and affordable fees, enhancing convenience. We hope the newly created Hyu Garden on top, along with Kukkiwon and the National Library for Children and Young Adults, will become a healing space in the city.”
Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seong-heon) announced on the 7th that it has completed a water playground facility within Munhwachon Children’s Park (Hongje-dong 277-15) for use during the summer season.
The district installed a water-play-type complex playground equipped with slides and water waterfalls, an umbrella-shaped fountain, and outdoor showers. Additionally, existing old facilities were refurbished.
Normally used as a regular playground, when filled with water during summer, it becomes a water playground approximately 120㎡ in area and 20cm deep.
Earlier, the district created and operated water playgrounds for a month during July and August at Gajaeul Children’s Park (Namgajwa-dong 385-2) and Jungang Neighborhood Park (Bukgajwa-dong 480).
The water playgrounds are filled with tap water, which is replaced daily for water quality management, and safety personnel are assigned.
With this completion, the number of park water playgrounds in Seodaemun-gu providing coolness and enjoyment to children during summer has increased to three.
Seodaemun-gu Mayor Lee Seong-heon said, “We look forward to the transformation of Munhwachon Children’s Park into a water playground during summer and ask residents for their continued interest in maintaining a pleasant park environment.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
