Yang Bunam Calls for Gwangju Jungang Neighborhood Park to Be Designated as a National Urban Park

'Policy Forum' to Be Held at the National Assembly on July 1

Yang Bunam, Member of the National Assembly.

Yang Bunam, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gwangju Seo-gu Eul), has begun earnest efforts to designate "Jungang Neighborhood Park" in Gwangju Seo-gu as the nation's first National Urban Park.

On the 27th, Yang announced, "On July 1, I will co-host the 'National Policy Forum for the Designation of National Urban Parks' at the National Assembly Library together with lawmakers Maeng Sungkyu, Kwon Youngjin, and Lee Sungkwon."

The forum will publicize the necessity of establishing National Urban Parks and seek strategic measures to promote and designate National Urban Parks in Gwangju, Incheon, and Busan.

If Jungang Neighborhood Park is designated as a National Urban Park, it is expected to enhance the "Park City Gwangju" brand and revitalize tourism and the local economy. In particular, Gwangju would become the only city to possess three major national parks: Mudeungsan National Park, Mudeungsan Area National Geopark, and a National Urban Park.

Although the requirement for National Urban Park designation is an area of at least 3 million square meters, Jungang Neighborhood Park is about 2.79 million square meters, which is slightly insufficient. However, as a related law reducing the requirement to over 1 million square meters is expected to pass the National Assembly soon, the likelihood of designating Gwangju Jungang Neighborhood Park?the largest of its kind in the country?as a National Urban Park is increasing.

Once designated as a National Urban Park, the local government will receive support for the budget required to operate and manage the urban park, and the value of the park will rise as the nation recognizes its natural landscape and historical and cultural heritage.

Yang stated, "Designating Gwangju Jungang Neighborhood Park as a National Urban Park is necessary to improve residential environments, promote health, and enhance quality of life," and added, "Jungang Neighborhood Park in Pungam-dong will become a park that represents the region, reflecting a unique design."