Jinju Mayor Cho Kyu-il Checks Progress of Jinju Daecheop Square Site Visit

A 19,870㎡ Site with Parking and Facilities Completed 17 Years After Master Plan Established
To Be Used as Festival Venue in October After Completion in August This Year

On the 17th, Jinju Mayor Cho Kyu-il visited the construction site of the 'Jinju Daecheop Square' in front of Chokseokmun in Bonseong-dong, which has started to gradually reveal its form. He checked the progress, encouraged those involved, and emphasized the importance of thoroughly preventing safety accidents.

The Jinju Daecheop Square project is being carried out with a total budget of 94 billion KRW, covering a site area of 19,870 square meters and a total floor area of 6,382 square meters. The underground first floor will have 149 parking spaces, while the ground level will feature minimal park support facilities and a historical park. The project aims to be completed by August this year.

Originally, the plan was to remove the construction barriers and open the park to the public with spring flowers in May, with final completion scheduled for June. However, frequent unexpected rainfall delayed the completion. Nevertheless, it is expected that there will be no issues using the space as a festival venue in October.

Mayor Kyoil Cho is inspecting the progress of the site visit to Jinju Daechup Square.

To create Jinju Daecheop Square, Jinju City conducted a feasibility study and established the basic plan in 2007. Over more than ten years, the city engaged in large-scale negotiations and compensation for 108 plots (13,000 square meters) and 81 buildings, carried out building demolitions, and conducted three years of cultural heritage surveys and detailed excavations.

Additionally, the city invested significant time and effort to obtain approval for changes to the cultural heritage status, undergoing multiple rounds of consultation and review by the National Heritage Committee. Following this, the city completed complex administrative procedures such as economic feasibility reviews and local construction technology evaluations during the implementation design phase, and finally held a groundbreaking ceremony in February 2022, 15 years after the initial plan was established.

Currently, the underground first floor, which will include 149 parking spaces and multipurpose facilities, has completed structural, waterproofing, and painting work, and is now undergoing electrical, fire safety, and communication installations. The ground-level park support facilities, which will include an exhibition and promotion center, Chokseokmun ticket office, cafe, restrooms, and storage, have finished structural work and are now being fitted with interior facilities.

The roof of the park support facilities has been completed in a PC slab stepped form, allowing the space to accommodate around 400 visitors. It is expected to serve as a perfect cultural activity space, hosting many events during the October festival period.

In addition, the ground area, excluding the park support facilities, has undergone earthwork to uncover the memory of the land and traces of time, aiming to become a historical park that preserves the site's historical records along with the excavated relics. Zelkova and hackberry trees have been planted along the park's main road, and pine trees have been planted throughout to form groves. The planting of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants, which will beautifully complete the historical park, is scheduled to be finished in July.

To commemorate the historic completion of Jinju Daecheop Square, which was achieved through long and difficult efforts, the city held a 'pavement engraving phrase contest' as a completion ceremony in February this year. Anyone interested in Jinju Daecheop Square could participate, and the number of engraved phrases was set at 1,592, symbolizing the year of the first Jinju Daecheop victory.

The phrases submitted through the contest will be arranged harmoniously along the park's main road with expert consultation. The pavement materials are currently being produced and will be unveiled to the public through paving work in the park in August.

The drainage channel from the Unified Silla period, the earthen fortress from the Goryeo period, and the stone fortress from the Joseon period, which were revealed during the excavation of cultural heritage after lying dormant for over 1,300 years, will be preserved and maintained according to the National Heritage Committee's conditions for original preservation. The drainage channel and earthen fortress will be covered and reproduced, with guide facilities installed. The outer wall of Jinju Fortress will be preserved in its original form, with the northern slope covered and organized. The upper part of the excavated relics will be planted with grass to harmonize with Jinju Fortress and surrounding landscaping, and a historical exploration path will be installed for viewing, along with lighting facilities.

The city plans to reflect the spirit of Jinju and enhance the historical significance of Jinju Daecheop, one of the three great victories of the Imjin War, by using different materials for each walkway to represent the respective eras. The square will be carefully created so that citizens walking through it feel as if they are walking through a scene in history.

To this end, the city adopted the proposal of renowned architect Seung Hyo-sang and, after collecting opinions from national heritage experts and deliberation by the Historic Sites Subcommittee, made partial changes to the ground park plan. The city is pursuing the project with meticulous attention to detail, considering every aspect of landscaping and paving materials, to ensure that the square becomes another proud landmark for Jinju citizens.

During the on-site inspection, Mayor Cho Kyu-il said, "Although frequent rainfall this year has made construction progress difficult, I ask everyone involved to pay close attention to detail until the very end, as this project has been carried out with great effort over a long period."

He added, "Once Jinju Daecheop Square is completed, it will become a hotspot for the October Lantern Festival and revitalize the old downtown area by transforming the historical site of overcoming national crises into a tourism resource. We will do our best to create another premium landmark for Jinju."