Opening of Deokpung Sports Culture Center,
a New Hub for Sports and Culture in Hanam’s Old Downtown
Gyeonggi Hanam City (Mayor Lee Hyun-jae) announced on the 24th that it held the opening ceremony of the ‘Deokpung Sports Culture Center,’ which will take the sports and cultural infrastructure of the old downtown area to the next level.
Lee Hyun-jae, Mayor of Hanam City, is delivering a commemorative speech at the opening ceremony of the Deokpung Sports Culture Center, which will elevate the sports and cultural infrastructure in the original downtown area to the next level, on the 24th. Provided by Hanam City
The Deokpung Sports Culture Center is expected to become an important hub that revitalizes the local community and improves the quality of life for residents.
About 150 people attended the event, including Mayor Lee Hyun-jae of Hanam City, Geum Gwang-yeon, Chairman of the Hanam City Council, city and provincial council members, officials from related organizations and resident institutions, and local residents, to celebrate the opening.
In his commemorative speech, Mayor Lee Hyun-jae said, “Residents of the old downtown area have long suffered many inconveniences due to a lack of sports facilities,” adding, “With the opening of the Deokpung Sports Culture Center, residents of the old downtown can now enjoy sports activities in a nearby and comfortable environment.”
The Deokpung Sports Culture Center was built at 71 Yeokmal-ro, Hanam City, with a total project cost of 46.7 billion KRW. It has a total floor area of 9,922㎡ and consists of three basement floors and four above-ground floors. It was completed in December last year and was created as a space to provide high-quality sports and cultural facilities to residents of the old downtown area.
The center’s core facility, the swimming pool, features a 25-meter length with 5 lanes and a walking pool, while the multipurpose gymnasium includes two badminton courts, allowing about 2,200 citizens to use it comfortably.
Additionally, various community-oriented facilities such as a food bank, senior health center, lifestyle culture center, small library, toy library, community care center, Happy Village Management Office, Social Welfare Council office, and a caf? have been established together to provide comprehensive living infrastructure that covers not only health promotion but also welfare, culture, and care services for residents.
The Deokpung Sports Culture Center swimming pool will officially open on April 1. Operating hours are from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Various programs, including aqua aerobics and swimming lessons for adults and elementary school students, have been prepared.
During the pre-registration held in January, 4,817 people applied, more than twice the capacity, demonstrating high interest. In particular, the swimming lesson program recorded a high competition rate of 2.6 to 1.
Starting with the opening of the Deokpung Sports Culture Center, Hanam City is actively promoting projects to expand sports infrastructure by region. The Gam-il Complex Community Center, scheduled for completion in August 2025, will include a 25-meter 5-lane swimming pool and an infant pool, as well as a multipurpose gymnasium and a fitness center.
The Wirye Complex Sports Facility will feature a 25-meter 5-lane swimming pool, an auxiliary pool, a table tennis hall, and a multipurpose gymnasium. Additionally, the long-term planned (tentatively named) Hwangsan Complex Sports Facility will include a swimming pool, multipurpose gymnasium, and play-type sports facilities.
Efforts are also being made to improve existing facilities. These include remodeling the Sinjang Tennis Court (scheduled for completion in August 2025) and opening the Changwoo Badminton Court (scheduled for April 2025), expanding community sports facilities. Plans to relocate and restructure the comprehensive stadium and Seondong Riverside sports facilities will also be pursued, reflecting citizens’ opinions.
Mayor Lee Hyun-jae stated, “With the opening of the Deokpung Sports Culture Center, we expect significant improvements in citizens’ health promotion and conditions for sports and cultural life,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to expand balanced community sports infrastructure by region so that citizens can exercise and enjoy leisure activities closer to home.”
Meanwhile, Hanam City plans to continuously strive to become an advanced city for community sports where anyone can easily use sports and cultural facilities throughout the city, not only in the old downtown area, taking this opening of the Deokpung Sports Culture Center as an opportunity.
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