Gwangju Geumnam Underground Shopping Center Under Transformation... AI Lab, Gallery, and More

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, is building part of the underground shopping mall in Geumnam-ro, located beneath the 5·18 Democracy Square, into an experiential tourism platform where all generations can communicate through media.

It is a plan to create a stay-type cultural tourism city by providing new attractions and entertainment for domestic and international visitors.

On the 19th, Dong-gu held a kickoff meeting to promote the "Media Theme Content Experiential Tourism Platform and Museum of Light" project (hereinafter abbreviated as the "Children's Media Experience Center") and decided to actively cooperate with related organizations such as Gwangju Metropolitan City, Urban Corporation, and the National Asia Culture Center, aiming to open in June next year.

The project, abbreviated as the "Children's Media Experience Center," consists of two linked projects: the creation of a media theme content experiential tourism platform and the Museum of Light. The plan is to develop the Geumnam-ro underground shopping mall Section 2 (approximately 1,500㎡) into an expanded urban cultural experience tourism belt.

Specifically, after demolishing vacant stores in Section 2 of the Geumnam-ro underground shopping mall, the area will be developed into a playground, AI (Artificial Intelligence) lab, gallery, and other spaces featuring digital-based creative convergence content that the whole family can enjoy.

The content will not merely display media art but will focus on encouraging visitors to return.

To this end, Dong-gu, in consultation with related organizations such as Gwangju Metropolitan City, Urban Corporation, and the Culture Center last year, established a basic plan including site selection and compensation for relocating existing merchants, and plans to complete the basic and detailed designs by August.

Afterward, through platform construction, content production, detailed program design, and pilot operation, the "Children's Media Experience Center" is scheduled to open in June 2024 in Section 2 of the Geumnam-ro underground shopping mall.

Im Taek, Mayor of Dong-gu, said on the 29th, "If this project is successfully carried out, we expect it will somewhat relieve the difficulties faced by local small business owners and micro-entrepreneurs who have endured a slump due to COVID-19 over the past three years."