Redefining Gwangju as a City of Disneyland, AI, and Culture
Transforming into an Integrated District of Tourism, Commerce, Culture, and Education
"Securing Large-Scale Stay-Type Content to Become an International Tourism Hub"
Myungno Lee Gwangju City Councilor
On April 24, Myungno Lee, a member of the Gwangju City Council (Democratic Party, Seo-gu 3), proposed attracting a theme park on the scale of Disneyland by utilizing half (approximately 1.2 million pyeong) of the planned relocation site if the Gwangju military airport is moved. He stated, "A major transformation of the local tourism industry is necessary."
In a press release issued on the same day, Councilor Lee emphasized, "Rather than uniformly selling off the entire 2.4 million pyeong site, half should be offered free of charge to attract global content, and the remaining half should be converted into premium land. This approach would provide tangible benefits for both Gwangju's finances and urban vitality."
Lee particularly explained the feasibility of the plan by highlighting that the site’s location conditions are unique nationwide. He said, "Gwangju’s main gateway, KTX Songjeong Station, will be directly connected to the Muan International Airport railway, which is scheduled to open in 2027. Songjeong Station is also directly linked to the national high-speed rail network," adding, "There is no other region in the country that can secure a large-scale site of over 1 million pyeong with direct access to railways, airports, and the city center."
Although Gwangju attracts more than 10 million tourists annually, the city faces structural limitations due to a lack of large-scale, stay-type content, resulting in low rates of tourist spending retention and repeat visits. Regarding this, Lee expressed his expectations, saying, "A theme park on the scale of Disneyland could serve as a powerful anchor content that transforms Gwangju from a simple stopover to a global destination city."
Lee projected that, if realized, the project could directly create more than 10,000 jobs, induce 40,000 to 50,000 indirect jobs, generate over 2 trillion won in annual tourism spending, raise land prices in the city’s outskirts by two to three times, and, most importantly, enable the rebranding of the city as 'Gwangju = Disneyland, AI, Culture.'
He stated, "The military airport site should not be approached as a simple sale, but as a way to plant the focal point of the city’s future vision," and predicted, "If Disneyland is established, the surrounding area will be transformed into a high-value-added complex district integrating tourism, commerce, culture, and education."
Meanwhile, Lee cited overseas cases such as Orlando in Florida, Shanghai in China, and the outskirts of Paris in France, where cities were redesigned after attracting Disneyland. He reiterated, "If this model is realized in Gwangju, it could serve as a catalyst for transforming the city’s structure, identity, and industrial ecosystem."
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