Gwangju Lacks 'This'... Mayor Kang Ki-jung Reveals Reasons for Tourism Commercialization Failure [No-Fun City]

[No Fun, Searching for the City's Fun]
<4> The City Runs for Fun
② Interview with Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung
"Gwangju is fun but not commercialized as a tourist product"
"We will revive the city's fun and create opportunities"

Editor's NoteAre you familiar with so-called 'No-Jam Cities,' meaning boring cities? These are cities lacking things to do, see, or enjoy, making locals feel bored and discouraging visitors from other regions. Since 2019, the term 'No-Jam City' has been used on social media platforms to describe various cities. What started as a kind of meme for fun has evolved into local governments in places like Daejeon, Ulsan, Gwangju, and Cheongju launching 'Fun City Creation Projects.' Are cities labeled 'No-Jam' truly dull and boring? What makes a city fun? We aim to reflect on the places and spaces where we live.

"The real fun of Gwangju has not been commercialized. So I tell people who say Gwangju is boring, 'Please go there and have fun.'

In an interview with Asia Economy, Kang Ki-jung, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, opened up about the stigma of Gwangju being a 'No-Jam City.' Gwangju, known as the holy ground of democracy in South Korea, has recently faced criticism for its declining urban vitality. There are even forecasts that Gwangju’s population could fall below 1.4 million by the end of next year due to young people leaving. Mayor Kang is focusing on adding fun elements to Gwangju. His vision is to make Gwangju a vibrant city full of opportunities, including jobs. Initiatives like attracting complex shopping malls and the Yeongsangang River project are part of the blueprint for a 'Fun Gwangju.'

Gwang-gi Jeong, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, is being interviewed by Asia Economy in his office at Gwangju City Hall. Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

Mayor Kang spoke candidly about Gwangju being called a No-Jam City. He said, "The label 'No-Jam City' was given because people say there’s nowhere to go and nothing to see, but most of those who say it have never even been to Gwangju." He added, "There may be people who have never been to the National Asian Culture Complex (ACC), Yangnim-dong, or Dongmyeong-dong, but there is no one who has been only once." Gwangju has the elements of 'fun,' so if there is an incentive to visit, the No-Jam City problem can be solved, he expressed confidently. Below is a Q&A with Mayor Kang.

Gwangju City Intercity Bus Terminal and Complex Cultural Space U-Square. Photo by Heo Young-han

- Why did you make 'Fun City Gwangju' a key campaign pledge?

▲ Gwangju is a city proud of its historic revolution. It is a symbol of democracy and has led South Korea’s history. However, we have not thought much about our daily lives and living conditions. Also, Gwangju’s stories have not been commercialized, which led to the 'No-Jam City' stigma. Even if people come to visit Gwangju, there is nothing to buy. We are considering what aspects of Gwangju can be turned into products. Branding and commercializing are the market’s roles, and we think it is important to discover and commercialize what belongs to us (Gwangju).

- What is the problem with Gwangju being called 'boring'?

▲ Gwangju has unresolved urban connectivity issues. It is convenient if you have a car, but hell if you don’t. Even coming from Busan by train takes 5 hours and 30 minutes. To become a 'Fun' city, it must first be easy to visit. Therefore, we are preparing the Dalbit Railroad connecting Gwangju and Daejeon, aiming for completion by 2030. We are also promoting projects like the Gyeongjeon Line and the Gwangju-Naju metropolitan railway, which will allow travel between Gwangju and Busan within two hours. The Gwangju Subway Line 2 will be completed by the end of 2026. We also want to open air routes. Next year, Gwangju will host the World Archery Championships, but there is no direct transportation from Incheon Airport. How inconvenient is that? We are pushing to connect Gwangju and Muan Airport by KTX.

Compared to other cities, Gwangju still lacks many things. Especially, there are few things for young people to enjoy in the city. Broadly speaking, there are no opportunities for the youth, and a city without opportunities is a dead city. This is also why many young people living in provinces feel cultural alienation and deprivation. The saying 'If the salary is the same, I’d rather live in Seoul than in the rural town of Gwangju' is in the same context. We want to create many opportunities for young people to enjoy and find fun. This is why our future vision is 'A City of Opportunities Where My Work Shines.'

Gwang-Jeong Kang, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, is being interviewed by Asia Economy in his office at Gwangju City Hall. Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

- How far has Fun City Gwangju come?

▲ We are at the stage of designing Gwangju’s fun elements. One of them is specializing Gwangju’s festivals into four-season festivals. Gwangju has many festivals such as the Chungjang Festival, Seochang Silver Grass Festival, and Beer Festa, but we are selecting representative festivals and creating reasons to visit Gwangju every season. We are also considering how to connect festivals with academic conferences.

When you think of Gwangju, isn’t Kia the first thing that comes to mind? Gwangju’s baseball stadium has 20,000 seats and is always sold out. Outsiders come for 2 to 3 days during the baseball season, and we are preparing sports marketing as well. This should be linked with the complex shopping mall. The complex shopping mall is not just a shopping space but a hub for tourism and entertainment. Once the complex shopping mall is built, we expect the city’s user population to increase from 8 million to 30 million.

- To increase tourists, Gwangju’s keywords are important.

▲ Gwangju lacks a representative product or a clear tourism keyword. In fact, Gwangju has Gungjeon Bakery, which is tastier than Daejeon’s Seongsimdang. But these bakeries have not been commercialized as tourist products. The city government is also considering what should be discovered as Gwangju’s keywords. Recently, many people have come to watch baseball, and we plan to track where they eat and how they enjoy themselves to create and utilize big data.

- What is your dream vision for Fun City Gwangju?

▲ It goes far beyond just playing. I want to make Gwangju a city where people can work, learn, enjoy, and have fun. Gwangju’s manufacturing industry is weak, and the proportion of self-employed is high. Because of the high self-employment rate, I think making Gwangju a city with a high startup success rate is an important fun element. We need a 'Fun Gwangju' where any citizen can start a business, enjoy, and benefit.

Interview by Park Sun-mi, Head of Planning and Reporting Department

Summary by Yoon Seul-gi, Reporter

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