“Gwangju Aims to Become First National Urban Park City
Jungang Neighborhood Park’s 2.8 Million Square Meters Set for Designation
Musical Fountain and Ecological Spaces to Enhance Residents’ Quality of Life”
"Gwangju is a wonderful city that is second to none in terms of democracy, future growth engines, and care."
Mayor Kang Gijeong of Gwangju expressed his commitment to the project with these words at the "Luxury Lake Park Development and National Urban Park Vision Proclamation Ceremony," held on the afternoon of the 21st at the outdoor stage of Pungam Lake in Seo-gu. He went on to emphasize, "Let us join forces to create a luxury lake, a luxury park, and a luxury national urban park." Over 200 local residents attended the event, including Mayor Kang and Seo-gu District Chief Kim Ikang.
On the afternoon of the 21st, at the outdoor stage of Pungam Lake in Seo-gu, Gwangju, Mayor Kang Kijeong of Gwangju is speaking at the "Luxury Lake Park Development and National Urban Park Vision Proclamation Ceremony." Photo by Song Bohyun
The city of Gwangju will designate and develop the Pungam Lake area within Jungang Neighborhood Park in Seo-gu as a national urban park. Jungang Neighborhood Park, spanning a total area of 2.8 million square meters, is a representative urban park featuring natural landscapes, ecological environments, and historical and cultural heritage. In 2023, the land ownership was transferred to Gwangju City, fulfilling a key requirement for designation.
In August of last year, amendments to relevant laws eased the designation requirements, giving Gwangju an advantage over competing cities such as Incheon, Busan, and Daegu. Going forward, the city plans to secure dedicated personnel and establish relevant ordinances.
In the Pungam Lake area, a water quality improvement project will be carried out, along with the creation of walking trails, a sandy beach, an observatory, an outdoor music hall, and an 8,264-square-meter ecological space. Inside the lake, the nation’s largest musical fountain-measuring 130 meters in length and 50 meters in height-will also be installed. During construction, some sections will be opened sequentially, and detour walking paths will be provided to minimize inconvenience.
The city explained that once Pungam Lake is designated, Gwangju will achieve the status of a "city of three national parks," alongside Mudeungsan National Park and Mudeungsan National Geopark. The park area per citizen will also increase from 6.3 square meters to 12.3 square meters, which is expected to improve the quality of life for residents.
National urban parks are designated at the national level for the purposes of preserving natural landscapes and historical and cultural assets, promoting balanced development, and advancing commemorative projects. However, to date, no area in the country has met all the requirements for designation.
The revised law lowered the minimum site area requirement from 3 million square meters to 1 million square meters and simplified the process by replacing Cabinet deliberation with review by the Central Urban Park Committee. It also included a legal basis for national support of installation and management costs.
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