Tourist Street Developed with 200 Million Won Budget in Gimcheon City
"Many Inquiries About Demolition... An Awkward Situation"
Singer Kim Ho-joong (33) has been arrested on charges of drunk hit-and-run, and Gyeongbuk Gimcheon City is facing a dilemma over whether to dismantle 'Kim Ho-joong Sorigil (hereafter Kim Ho-joong-gil)'.
Yonhap News reported around 1 p.m. on the 25th about the atmosphere of 'Kim Ho-joong Sorigil' in Gimcheon City, Gyeongbuk, stating, "Although it was the weekend, it was hard to find tourists. The nearby tourist attraction Yeonhwaji was also quiet."
A performer who regularly performs at Yeonhwaji, a tourist spot near Kim Ho-joong-gil, said, "It is definitely quieter than before the controversy," adding, "There were quite a few fans and tourists just last week, but this weekend there are definitely fewer people."
Kim Ho-joong-gil is a symbolic street dedicated to trot singer Kim Ho-joong, created by Gimcheon City in 2021 with an investment of 200 million won to develop a tourism-specialized street. The approximately 100-meter-long alley is decorated in purple, the symbolic color of Kim’s fan cafe, and features murals of Kim and his song lyrics throughout. Last year, at least 100,000 tourists visited.
A merchant said, "Many shop owners are registered fan club members," and added, "Because many fans come, they eat a lot of food, and business is good thanks to them, so I joined the fan club and went to see performances together." He argued, "If time passes, he will be able to be active again, so dismantling it would be a loss."
Nearby shops decorated their signs using purple or put up posters saying "House of Kim’s Fan Club." Some places displayed photos of Kim or supportive messages.
The opinions of tourists visiting Yeonhwaji were different. One tourist said, "Since he has been arrested, leaving the street dedicated to a criminal as is would not be good for the image of the tourist site." Another citizen visiting Yeonhwaji said, "Even without Kim, this place is originally famous for cherry blossoms, so it would be fine to dismantle Kim Ho-joong-gil," and added, "I hope Kim Ho-joong-gil disappears."
On the other hand, another citizen said, "Although it’s not our generation, the older generation has many fans, and since dismantling would also cost taxes, it might be better to leave it as is."
Gimcheon City also seems to be deeply troubled over the dismantling of Kim Ho-joong-gil. A Gimcheon City official said, "We are internally reviewing the dismantling," and added, "Although Kim has been arrested, the decision on whether to dismantle Kim Ho-joong-gil will be made after observing the investigation results." He continued, "We receive many related inquiry calls and many posts requesting dismantling are posted," and expressed, "We are responding, but it is a difficult situation."
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