Remodeled Old Public Bathhouse Becomes a Cultural and Welfare Hub Closely Connected to Residents' Daily Lives
Welfare Gap Between Urban and Rural Areas Narrows... A Turning Point Toward a "Countryside Where People Want to Stay"
On April 23, Pohang City held a completion ceremony for the "Gibuk-myeon Basic Living Base Development Project" in Yonggi-ri, Gibuk-myeon, Buk-gu, sharing the achievements with local residents.
Pohang City Gibuk-myeon Basic Living Base Development Project Completion Ceremony. Provided by Pohang City
This project was selected in 2019 as part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ general rural development contest and was fully launched. With a total project cost of 5.9 billion KRW (2.8 billion KRW from the national government, 1.4 billion KRW in special grants, and 1.7 billion KRW from the city), it has been implemented over six years since 2020 as a project to expand living SOC (social overhead capital).
The core facility, the "Gibuk-myeon Welfare Center," is a remodeled public bathhouse that had been in use for over 20 years. It now includes amenities closely tied to residents’ daily lives, such as a bathhouse, health care room, small library, meeting room, and barbershop.
The newly opened welfare center is expected to serve as a resting place for seniors and as a true community space where children and adults can come together.
The welfare center will also offer a variety of educational and welfare programs in the future, including calligraphy, natural cosmetics making, and knitting. It is anticipated to become a small but practical space for the community.
In addition, the project included improvements to the Gibuk Market environment, the creation of a health vitality plaza, maintenance of the embankment road, and enhancements to the pedestrian environment. These efforts have brought balanced changes to the entire Gibuk-myeon area.
Until now, Gibuk-myeon lacked cultural and welfare infrastructure, forcing residents to travel to the city for daily conveniences. However, this project has significantly reduced the welfare gap between urban and rural areas and has marked a turning point toward making the countryside a place where people want to stay.
Mayor Lee Kangdeok stated, "This basic living base development project is a resident-participatory initiative that fully reflects the opinions of local residents. We will continue to expand practical, life-oriented policies that truly improve the lives of rural residents."
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