Gangjin-gun Secures 2.1 Billion KRW for Large-Scale Traditional Market Parking Environment Improvement Project

Large-scale parking lot created at Byeongnyeong Market... Upgrading the weekend nightlife and tourism environment

Gangjin-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Kang Jin-won) announced on the 15th that it has secured a project budget of 2.1 billion KRW after being selected for the ‘2024 Traditional Market Parking Environment Improvement Project’ contest conducted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

The secured budget will be used to create a large parking lot near Byeongyeong Market. Byeongyeong Market is located in the northwestern area of Gangjin, which boasts abundant historical, natural, and cultural assets such as Jeolla Byeongyeongseong, Han Alley, and the Hamel Memorial within a 1 km radius. Since 2020, a pig bulgogi specialty street has been established centered around Byeongyeong Market.

Byeongyeong-myeon, with a population of only about 1,500, has secured a total project budget of 14.1 billion KRW since 2021 through the ‘Urban Regeneration New Deal Project’ led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Since then, through residential environment maintenance and the creation of living SOC, cultural care welfare improvements, and more, the number of tourists and residents has steadily increased every year, quietly creating a ‘miracle of a small local city.’

The Bulgeumbulpa event was successfully held last year in the Byeongnyeong Market area.
[Photo by Gangjin-gun]

In Gangjin-gun, the Bulgeumbulpa event, which made its debut last year, attracted over 13,000 tourists to the event site and recorded sales of over 200 million KRW, receiving high acclaim. This year, in line with the full-scale operation of the Year of Half-Price Family Tourism, the strategy is to diversify food, sights, games, and entertainment to raise visitor satisfaction by one notch.

In particular, in addition to the main theme of the event, Byeongyeong Pig Bulgogi, four additional food stalls offering snacks and meals will be added. The atmosphere will be enhanced with a new Windmill Barbecue, and a Young Chef Zone will be created to appeal to family tourists and the MZ generation’s tastes.

Furthermore, to promote coexistence with local residents, various experiential events and activities such as the Byeongyeong Market, cultural and arts market, eco-friendly bicycle tours, and a memory playground will be prepared to welcome tourists.

Especially attracting attention is the ‘Grandmother Market,’ where local elders personally grow and prepare agricultural products and sell them while sitting closely together, which will operate again this year following last year.

Although the number of tourists and residents around Byeongyeong Market continues to increase, the lack of a dedicated parking lot has caused inconvenience for local residents and tourists visiting Byeongyeong Market, who have had to park along roadsides within the myeon area while using the market and attending the Bulgeumbulpa event.

Accordingly, the county plans to significantly improve convenience for visitors and tourists by newly constructing a large-scale parking lot around Byeongyeong Market, aiming for completion this year.

Bulgeumbulpa Season 2 is scheduled to take place every Friday and Saturday from 4:00 PM to 7:30 PM from the 19th until October 26th, excluding the peak heat months of July and August.

Governor Kang Jin-won stated, “Through the construction of the Byeongyeong Market parking lot, which is a foundational facility for attracting not only local residents but also tourists and residents, we will enable people to enjoy the Bulgeumbulpa event in a more pleasant environment.” He added, “We will continue to overcome the crisis of local extinction by revitalizing the local economy through various regional festivals, tourism, and half-price family travel.”