Gimpo City Breaks Away from 15 Years of Paid Operations
Turning Point for Revitalizing Daemyeong Port Centered on Hamsang Park
Plans for Gradual Establishment of Local Business Linkage and Win-Win Model
Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Byung-su) announced on the 15th that starting from July, it will fully waive the entrance fee for Gimpo Hamsang Park, located at the center of Gimpo Daemyeong Port. This marks a major shift in the operation of the Hamsang Park, which has been operated as a paid facility for 15 years since its opening in 2010, and is a strategic measure to revitalize the economy of the Daemyeong Port area, which has been stagnant.
Under the 8th elected administration, Gimpo City has achieved results by discovering and newly branding Gimpo’s resources to secure competitiveness. In this context, the plan is to increase usage through the free admission policy for Gimpo Hamsang Park and maximize the synergy effect with nearby regional tourist resources such as Daemyeong Port Fish Market and Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil.
Gimpo Hamsang Park is a themed park where visitors can experience real military equipment such as the decommissioned naval landing ship 'Unbongham,' maritime patrol aircraft, and amphibious vehicles. Recently, it has been difficult to activate tourism due to aging facilities and other reasons. The city expects that this free admission policy will serve as a new turning point for revitalization throughout Daemyeong Port, starting from Hamsang Park.
This free admission policy will be implemented through amendments to related ordinances, with a schedule that includes legislative notice of the ordinance amendment to abolish the entrance fee in April, consultation with the council, council review and promulgation in June, and full implementation in July. Additionally, mobile-based content will be newly introduced simultaneously with the free admission implementation, along with various promotional events.
A city official stated, "The free admission to Gimpo Hamsang Park is more than just abolishing fees; it will be the first step toward revitalizing the entire local tourism ecosystem and making Daemyeong Port a tourist destination that people want to visit again," adding, "We look forward to the interest and participation of many citizens and tourists."
Meanwhile, Gimpo Hamsang Park has been selected as a '2025 Small but Strong Potential Tourist Destination' by the Korea Tourism Organization, and plans are underway to expand stay-type programs, develop goods, and hold the Hamsang Park Sunset Culture Festival as part of various stay-type tourism revitalization policies.
Furthermore, Gimpo City was selected for Gyeonggi Province’s 'Northern Gyeonggi Food Tourism Revitalization Contest' and plans to actively develop gourmet tourism content linking Daemyeong Port seafood and key local experience hubs under the theme 'Gimpo, Slow Gourmet ? Healing Gourmet Tour Project.'
Gimpo City plans to gradually expand the linkage with the local commercial district and establish a sustainable win-win model by connecting various contest projects and the free admission policy of Hamsang Park, aiming to establish the entire Daemyeong Port area as a thriving tourism hub centered on Hamsang Park.
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