Residents of the Dudong area in Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam Province, have called for the attraction of the Dudong District Complex Cultural Shopping Town.
On the afternoon of December 15, a delegation of residents from Ungcheon-dong and Ungdong 1 and 2-dong held a press conference at the Gyeongnam Provincial Government Press Center, stating, "We propose the creation of a complex cultural shopping town to improve the poor living conditions in Ungcheon-dong and Ungdong 1 and 2-dong and to revive the stagnant local economy."
A delegation of residents from Ungcheon-dong and Ungdong 1 and 2-dong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam, is holding a press conference urging the attraction of the Dudong District Complex Cultural Shopping Town. Photo by Lee Seryung
The residents' delegation explained, "The eastern region of Jinhae-gu is a strategic hub for the Gadeok New Airport and the New Port, and the Dudong District is the only key hinterland city in Gyeongnam where development has been completed. As the center of the tri-port where the airport, port, and railway converge, it is the optimal location to drive future growth."
They pointed out, "However, the infrastructure for daily life and culture for local residents is severely lacking. Residents have to travel to Myeongji and Shinho in Gangseo-gu, Busan, or nearby Gimhae just to shop or enjoy cultural activities, causing local spending to flow out of the region."
They added, "The inconvenience experienced by residents is a problem, but this trend also weakens the local living environment, eventually leading to population outflow and creating a vicious cycle that undermines the vitality of the local economy."
Petition for the Attraction of the Complex Cultural Shopping Town in Dudong District, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam. Photo by Lee Seryung
As a solution to prevent this, the delegation proposed to Gyeongnam Province, the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority, and Changwon City the construction of a large-scale complex cultural shopping town on the distribution facility site in Dudong, Jinhae-gu, through private investment.
They also presented a petition signed by 16,559 residents in support of attracting the complex cultural center to the Dudong District.
They stated, "We are not simply asking for a shopping space, but for a leisure area where families can stay and enjoy together, a core self-sustaining facility that can accommodate the population influx expected from the construction of Jinhae New Port and Gadeok New Airport, and anchor local spending within the region."
Furthermore, they emphasized, "The more than 16,000 signatures are not just numbers, but a sincere expression of residents' desire to create a better place to live. As this area is set to see a sharp increase in floating population as the hinterland of major national projects, building a foundation for people to stay and spend here is not a choice but a necessity."
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