Approval Granted for Designation and Development Plan of Gwangyang Gubongsan Tourist Complex

370 Billion Won Investment: Golf Course, Condominiums, and Leisure Facilities Planned
"Poised to Become a Key Anchor Facility in the South Coast Tourism Belt"

Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do announced on October 1 that it received approval for the "Designation and Development Plan of Gwangyang Gubongsan Tourist Complex" from the Governor of Jeollanam-do on the 30th of last month in accordance with the Tourism Promotion Act.

This project, led by LF Resort Co., Ltd. (CEO Kim Kijoon), will invest a total of 370 billion won to build a large-scale tourism and leisure facility on a 2,072,623 square meter site in the Hwanggeum-dong and Hwanggil-dong areas, which are located behind Gwangyang Port. The project will include 220 condominium rooms, a 27-hole public golf course, and 13 types of recreational and cultural facilities. The project period is set until 2030.

Gwangyang City received approval for the "Gwangyang Gubongsan Tourist Complex Designation and Development Plan" from the Governor of Jeollanam-do on the 30th of last month in accordance with the Tourism Promotion Act. Provided by Gwangyang City

This project originated as a regional cooperation initiative of "LF Square," which opened in Gwangyang-eup in 2017. After submitting a business proposal in April 2019, the company began purchasing land and simultaneously applied for both "tourist complex designation" and "development plan approval," thereby accelerating the project.

Subsequently, the company sequentially completed procedures such as prior consultation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, various impact assessments, landscape reviews, decisions (and changes) on urban management plans (zoning and districts), consultations on changing and designating conservation forest areas, and decisions (and changes) on district unit planning zones.

This approval comes two years and four months after the application was submitted in June 2023. The city explained that this achievement was the result of close cooperation with private investors and Jeollanam-do from the early stages of the project.

In particular, LF Networks Co., Ltd., which operates "LF Square Gwangyang Branch," established the local entity LF Resort Co., Ltd. to oversee the development of the tourist complex and has consistently invested large-scale capital in the project.

The city also signed an "administrative support agreement," formed a dedicated team, and has actively provided administrative support-such as acting as an agent for land acquisition, constructing access roads, and resolving investment-related challenges-working as one team with the project operator.

LF Resort Co., Ltd. aims to obtain business implementation permits (including development activity permits) by the end of this year and, having prepared for a long time, plans to further accelerate the project’s progress.

This approval for the tourist complex development plan is also expected to give significant momentum to Gwangyang City's key initiative, the "Gubongsan Area Tourism Cluster." Among the three core tourism projects in the Gubongsan area, the "Children's Theme Park" and POSCO's "Gubongsan Summit Experiential Sculpture" have already begun construction. If construction of the tourist complex also begins within this year, plans for related content such as a cable car and alpine slide are expected to become even more concrete.

Mayor Jung Inhwa stated, "We wholeheartedly welcome the first-ever approval for the designation and development plan of a tourist complex in Gwangyang together with all 150,000 citizens. This project, which began as a regional cooperation initiative of LF Gwangyang Square, is highly meaningful as it serves as a model case of regional and corporate growth together."

He added, "I hope that construction will begin as soon as possible so that citizens can enjoy tourism and leisure culture close to home, and I look forward to the Gubongsan area establishing itself as a representative tourist complex of Gwangyang and as a key anchor facility in the South Coast Tourism Belt."