Chudong Forest Garden and Jail Forest Bathing Area:
Transforming Urban Green Spaces into Everyday Healing
Shingok Saebit Garden and Jangam Forest Neulpum-gil:
Revitalizing Abandoned Land and Creating New Ecological Landmarks
Jail-dong Ecological Village and Memorial Park:
Connecting Community, Nature, and Regional Identity
Dongo Masil Run and Tourism Infrastructure:
Boosting the Local Economy with Sports and Leisure
Camp Kyle and Biomedical Cluster:
Securing the Future Growth Engine of the Shingok District
In celebration of the third anniversary of the 8th popularly elected administration, the Shingok district of Uijeongbu City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Donggeun), is transforming into a "city where forests, gardens, and industry coexist." By expanding ecological infrastructure such as Chudong Forest Garden, Jail Forest Bathing Area, and Shingok Saebit Garden, the city is adding healing to the daily lives of its citizens. At the same time, it is securing future growth engines by creating a biomedical cluster through the development of Camp Kyle.
Kim Donggeun, mayor of Uijeongbu, is visiting Chudong Forest Garden on the 26th to review the project status. Provided by Uijeongbu City
On the 26th, Mayor Kim Donggeun visited the Shingok district, toured the Chudong Forest Garden site, and held a meeting with the citizen participation group to share development directions.
This visit was not just a simple site inspection, but rather a stage for presenting the achievements that show how the Shingok district has changed over the past three years.
The city is working to make the Shingok district a "healing city where forests and gardens harmonize" by connecting major urban green spaces into a single ecological axis. The creation of Chudong Forest Garden, Jail Forest Bathing Area, and Jail-dong Ecological Village are at the core of this initiative, with an emphasis on providing a healthy living environment where all citizens can enjoy nature as part of their everyday lives.
First, Chudong Park, the region’s representative neighborhood park, is being transformed into "Chudong Forest Garden," an ecological landmark of high quality.
Covering approximately 720,000 square meters (220,000 pyeong), the space will feature three symbolic areas, twelve gardens, and five themed forests, as well as barrier-free paths and an observatory, establishing itself as an ecological landmark within the city.
Officially opened in March last year, "Jail Forest Bathing Area" is Uijeongbu’s first forest recreation facility. It was created using a pine forest planted in 2003 and a well-preserved natural forest, and is equipped with a deck road, forest shelters, a sawdust barefoot path, a hydrangea garden, and a woodworking experience center. From the development stage, residents participated, earning it the nickname "the forest bathing area made by citizens." Now, it has become a popular urban retreat, offering various programs such as forest interpretation, forest healing, and family camping.
Kim Donggeun, mayor of Uijeongbu, is visiting Chudong Forest Garden on the 26th to inspect the site with the citizen participation group. Photo by Uijeongbu City
In addition, the city is developing "Jail-dong Ecological Village" by connecting Jail Forest Bathing Area with community facilities, a circular road, and Nuri-gil walking paths. In particular, the rest and memorial space linked to the Memorial Park at the Memorial Tower is expected to become a symbolic project that simultaneously preserves the region's identity and ecological value.
The land once called the "mountain of garbage" has been reborn as Shingok Saebit Garden. The site, which was an abandoned construction waste area for over 20 years, has now been transformed into a 30,000-square-meter four-season garden. Flowers that change with each season greet citizens, and various programs for families are actively operated. It is now a popular healing spot in the city and a sought-after filming location.
Along with this, the Jangam Forest Neulpum-gil project is underway as the starting point for creating a large-scale arboretum. The walking path, lined with cherry trees, boxwood, and Kerria japonica, is redefining the value of nature within the city.
The Shingok district is also invigorating the local economy by blending recreational sports and tourism.
"Dongo Masil Run," which debuted last year as Uijeongbu’s first river marathon, was held in the Buyongcheon and Jungnangcheon areas, attracting about 400 participants and leading to meaningful results in terms of local commercial activity. Notably, 75% of participants made purchases at nearby shopping districts, resulting in a visible economic effect with daily sales increasing by about 20%.
Last year, the event featured 6km and 10km courses, but this year it will be expanded to 10km and 20km and newly held as the "1st Uijeongbu Picnic Marathon" (tentative name) in October, with preparations underway for a large-scale event involving approximately 1,100 participants.
Tourism infrastructure is also gaining new vitality. "Ireland Castle" in Jangam-dong reopened its hotel in September last year, and its waterpark reopened in July this year after five years. The waterpark has recorded a cumulative 110,000 visitors in just two months since reopening, reestablishing itself as a popular leisure destination for citizens and tourists.
Additionally, during the "2025 LGT World Women's Curling Championship" held last March, the hotel provided all rooms as accommodations for teams from 13 countries, greatly contributing to the smooth operation of the international event. Furthermore, during a large-scale concert in July that attracted 30,000 attendees, all rooms were provided for event staff, making the hotel a key foundation for the successful hosting of major events.
The hotel’s banquet hall is used as a venue for meetings and workshops by public institutions, associations, and organizations, attracting about 20 events and 300 visitors each month. Going beyond a simple lodging facility, it has established itself as a representative tourism asset of Uijeongbu, breathing new life into the local economy through the attraction of large-scale events and the revitalization of the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) industry.
Most notably, the industrial leap of the Shingok district is drawing attention. With Camp Kyle, a former U.S. military base, being designated as a candidate site for the Gyeonggi Free Economic Zone, the area is on the verge of transforming into an advanced industrial site.
Selected alongside Camp Red Cloud (CRC) in the Heungseon district as a candidate site, Camp Kyle covers an area of 140,000 square meters. Leveraging its location adjacent to Eulji University Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital, it is planned to be developed into a "biomedical cluster" focused on clinical research and demonstration. With this, the Shingok district is expected to become Uijeongbu's future growth engine, combining healthcare and advanced industries.
Mayor Kim Donggeun stated, "The Shingok district is another face of Uijeongbu, enhancing the quality of daily life with forests and gardens, and adding vitality for the future as an industrial hub," adding, "We will continue to share achievements with citizens and pursue even greater change together."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
