Closed School Repurposed into Residential Complex Cultural Space... Expected Influx of Resident Population
On the 27th, Jeonnam Province announced that it held the completion ceremony for 'Gokseong Station 1928,' the first among the 'Jeonnam-type Regional Growth Strategic Projects.'
The Jeonnam-type Regional Growth Strategic Project is a large-scale development initiative that breaks away from the previous region development method relying solely on central government competitions. Instead, it supports projects with high sustainability that cities and counties proactively discover by utilizing local specialized resources, with full support from Jeonnam Province. It was first introduced in 2020.
The completion ceremony for Gokseong Station 1928 was attended by about 300 people, including Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam Province, Kwon Hyang-yeop, elected member of the National Assembly, Lee Sang-cheol, Mayor of Gokseong County, Jin Ho-geon, member of the Jeonnam Provincial Assembly, Kim Seong-ho, Chairman of the Gokseong Station 1928 Project Promotion Committee, and local residents.
Gokseong Station 1928 is a project that transformed the site of Ogok Elementary School, which was closed in 2004, into a stay-type complex cultural space to attract youth, retirees, and returnees to Gokseong in preparation for accelerated aging and a decrease in the working-age population.
It is named by combining 'Station' and the year 1928, when Ogok Elementary School was first opened, symbolizing a new hub space where the past, present, and future coexist and connect people.
With a total project cost of 13.6 billion KRW, the site covers 25,415㎡ with a building area of 2,263㎡. It was developed as a hub space where education, experience, residence, and community coexist, including a construction school, forest play school, atopy and healing school, and Cheongchun Jakdang (living in Gokseong for 100 days).
Various experience programs linked to nearby tourist attractions such as Chimshil Wetland, Donghwa Garden, and Train Village have also been prepared to prevent population decline by attracting young residents and to revitalize the local economy.
Additionally, as related cooperative projects, the 'Gokseong Doraji Village Creation Project' utilizing the Local Extinction Response Fund and the 'Rural New Vitality Plus Project,' a Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries competition project, are expected to be completed by 2025. This will establish the space as a model case for 'runcation' tourism, combining stay, education, and experience, attracting more visitors.
Governor Kim Young-rok said, "It is very meaningful to hold the completion ceremony for the first Jeonnam-type Regional Growth Strategic Project, a large-scale regional development project to support the independent growth of cities and counties. We will actively support Gokseong Station 1928 to become a landmark loved by residents and tourists and to leap forward as a key hub for inland tourism on the South Coast."
Starting with the completion of Gokseong Station 1928, Jeonnam Province plans to sequentially complete 22 Jeonnam-type Regional Growth Strategic Projects by 2028, injecting new vitality into the region and realizing an era of balanced development in Jeonnam where everyone prospers together.
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