Gyeonggi Province Invests 33.2 Billion KRW in Regional Balanced Development Project
331 Billion KRW Allocated to Six Underdeveloped Cities and Counties in the North and East
Gyeonggi Province Expects to Revitalize Local Tourism
The ‘Yeoju Namhangang Suspension Bridge,’ promoted as a regional balanced development project in Gyeonggi Province, has been completed and will officially open on May 1. This pedestrian-only bridge connects Silleuksa Temple and Geumeunmorae Amusement Park (which includes a water playground, camping site, art museum, and phone museum), and is expected to serve as a key infrastructure to revitalize local tourism.
According to Gyeonggi Province on the 1st, the Yeoju Namhangang Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge with a total length of 515 meters, a width of 2.5 meters, and a height of 35 meters. A total of 33.2 billion KRW was invested, including funds from the Gyeonggi regional balanced development project.
With the completion of the Yeoju Namhangang Suspension Bridge, the first phase of the regional balanced development project, which invested a total of 331 billion KRW in 51 projects across six underdeveloped cities and counties in the northern and eastern parts of Gyeonggi Province (Yeoncheon, Gapyeong, Yangpyeong, Yeoju, Pocheon, Dongducheon), has been fully completed.
The province expects that the installation of this pedestrian bridge will contribute to revitalizing local tourism by enabling tourists and residents to walk between the famous tourist spots of Silleuksa Temple and Geumeunmorae Amusement Park. Furthermore, by connecting these two tourist sites into a single tourism belt, the length of tourists’ stays is expected to increase, positively impacting the local economy.
Yeoju City plans to hold the ‘Year of Yeoju Tourism’ proclamation ceremony and the 37th Yeoju Ceramic Festival simultaneously to commemorate the opening of the suspension bridge. Along with various cultural performances, diverse events such as the Republic of Korea Air Force’s special flight team Black Eagles airshow will be held to promote new tourism content centered around the suspension bridge. In particular, night lighting will be installed around the two main towers of the suspension bridge, and together with the ‘Forest of Light’ to be installed in the Silleuksa Tourist Complex Park, it is planned to develop into a famous spot where visitors can enjoy the beautiful night view of the Namhangang River.
Meanwhile, the province has finalized the basic plan for the third phase of the regional balanced development project, which will support the six underdeveloped cities and counties for five years starting in 2025, and plans to provide a total of 360 billion KRW in provincial funds by 2029.
Lee Gye-sam, Director of the Gyeonggi Provincial Balanced Development Planning Office, said, “The Yeoju Namhangang Suspension Bridge is an important infrastructure that will enrich Yeoju’s tourism resources, strengthen regional competitiveness through the revitalization of the tourism industry, and contribute to improving the quality of life for residents. Going forward, Gyeonggi Province will do its best to promote practical changes and development in the northern and eastern parts of Gyeonggi through comprehensive and efficient customized regional balanced development projects that consider the characteristics of underdeveloped areas.”
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