Gwangmyeong Cultural Center Completes Remodeling After 20 Years... Reopening in September

Expansion Adds Public Spaces, Cultural Gallery, and History Museum

The Gwangmyeong Cultural Center in Gwangmyeong City, Gyeonggi Province, which was built 20 years ago, will reopen this September after completing remodeling construction. On June 19, Gwangmyeong City held a completion ceremony for the remodeling of the Gwangmyeong Cultural Center in Haan-dong.

Exterior view of Gwangmyeong Cultural Center located in Haan-dong, Gwangmyeong City, which will reopen this September after remodeling construction. Provided by Gwangmyeong City

Opened in 1995, the Gwangmyeong Cultural Center relocated to the Haan-dong building in 2005 and has since served as a space for various cultural activities for local residents. However, due to aging facilities, issues such as water leakage and poor insulation arose, and safety concerns regarding the building’s entrances and exits led to the need for remodeling.

The city invested 7.6 billion KRW in the remodeling project, expanding the building to one basement level and two above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 2,733 square meters. During the remodeling, the city increased the building area by 394 square meters. With construction now complete, the city plans to reopen the center after internal preparations are finished, starting in September.

The center explained that the remodeling has significantly expanded public spaces for citizens, including converting the existing outdoor area into an indoor communication space.

The building’s entrance features floor-to-ceiling windows spanning the first and second floors, offering a view of Cheolwangsan Mountain. A new open space called “Cultural Maru” has been created, connecting the lobby and the first and second floors in a tiered design, and is furnished with tables, chairs, and single sofas. This area will be used for citizen interaction and as a stage for events. A lounge area has also been set up on the second floor.

On the first floor, there is a gallery for small-scale art exhibitions and two lecture rooms. The existing performance hall has also been upgraded with improved lighting, sound equipment, seating, and a beam projector. On the second floor, a “Gwangmyeong History Museum” will be established. The museum, which includes an open storage area, exhibition room, and video room, will display everyday artifacts donated by citizens and feature local historical figures such as Min Hoebin Gang, Ori Lee Wonik, and Gyeongsan Jeong Wonyong.

Park Seungwon, Mayor of Gwangmyeong City, stated, “We will continue to expand programs so that the reopened Gwangmyeong Cultural Center can become an open cultural space that breathes with the lives of our citizens.”