Gwangju Gwangsan-gu Selected for Ministry of Land's New Village Project... Secures 9.8 Billion Won in National Funding

Housing Environment Improvement Project to Be Implemented for Five Years Starting Next Year

Gwangsan-gu in Gwangju has secured 9.8 billion KRW in national funding after the "Usandong New Village Project in Gwangsan-gu" was selected in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's New Village project competition. As a result, a residential environment improvement project will be implemented over the next five years starting next year.

According to Gwangsan-gu on the 24th, a full-scale urban regeneration project worth a total of 19.6 billion KRW will be launched to improve the residential conditions of the old low-rise residential area in Usandong (around 1025-1 Usandong), which has remained neglected since the land readjustment project of the 1980s due to the difficulty of full-scale redevelopment and reconstruction. The project also aims to create a complex cultural space for residents.

Gwangsan District Office in Gwangju.

This selection is the result of communication with residents and related organizations, including the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education. Resident surveys were conducted, and prior consultations were held with Gwangsan Police Station, Korea Asset Management Corporation, as well as preliminary advice from HUG Korea Housing & Urban Guarantee Corporation and Korea Real Estate Board.

In particular, to address the long-standing desire of residents and parents to secure safe school routes to Gwangsan Middle School and Songwoo Elementary School, the district secured land for school routes through significant decisions made in discussions with the city education office and each school, linking this issue with the current project.

The main elements of the improvement project include the creation of a complex cultural care and senior community platform for resident activities, securing safe school routes by improving school fence sections, establishing a children's theme park (Mudol Children's Park) and a public parking lot, and renovating old houses and vacant homes.

The district plans to begin formulating an "Urban Regeneration Activation Plan" and, after going through administrative procedures, will officially launch the project next year.

Park Byungkyu, the district mayor, said, "We will do our best to ensure the project proceeds smoothly as planned so that Usandong can be reborn as an area with the best and safest residential environment."