Changes in Daily Life Drive Urban Competitiveness
Sokcho City to Overhaul Working, Living, and Transportation Environments
'Resident-Centered' Updates Including Village Regeneration
Sokcho City in Gangwon Province is set to overhaul its core urban infrastructure in the coming new year, aiming to improve the city’s overall structure by focusing on aspects most closely tied to residents’ daily lives.
A bird's-eye view of the worker dormitory at Daepo Industrial Complex, Sokcho City. Provided by Sokcho City.
The city has established three main pillars centered on areas that residents encounter every day, such as worker welfare, residential and neighborhood environments, and everyday transportation convenience. By implementing tailored projects in each sector, the city plans to gradually enhance the overall living environment. Sokcho City stated that it will prioritize highly tangible projects under the principle that “changes in the living environment directly translate to urban competitiveness.”
The first pillar is the improvement of working conditions. The remodeling of the cultural space at the Workers’ Comprehensive Welfare Center is a project aimed at enhancing leisure and rest areas for local industrial workers, with a total project budget of 1.7 billion won and a target completion date in the first half of next year.
In the Daepo Industrial Complex, 4.8 billion won will be invested to build a worker dormitory, further strengthening infrastructure for both workers and businesses. In Cheongho-dong, the city will also construct a welfare center for foreign crew members to address labor shortages, which is expected to help revitalize the local economy. Both projects are scheduled for completion next year.
The second pillar is the improvement of the living environment.
The urban regeneration projects in Hwache Village and Jangsa-dong Saemaeul areas are designed to renovate aging residential areas and neighborhood environments, thereby improving safety and the overall environment of these living zones. The projects range from home repairs for individual houses to the creation of shared community spaces for residents, with completion scheduled for the end of 2026 and 2028, respectively. The Sandomun Stone Wall Village Landscape Improvement Project will also focus on restoring the unique atmosphere of the area by renovating alleyways and stone wall landscapes.
The city will also proceed with the replacement of artificial turf at the Sokcho Expo Lawn Plaza to enhance citizens’ leisure spaces. As this is a highly utilized and popular area, the city plans to improve both safety and usability, transforming it into a central hub for daily leisure activities for both residents and tourists.
The third pillar is the improvement of daily transportation and pedestrian environments.
To address chronic traffic congestion caused by illegal parking in front of Sokcho Citizen Pharmacy, the city will add an acceleration lane to ease traffic flow and enhance safety. Other improvements include road maintenance and sidewalk expansion in Jangcheon Village, as well as the addition of a right-turn lane and expansion of pedestrian paths near the T-Station next to the Expo Lawn Plaza. These projects are aimed at resolving inconveniences on roads used daily by citizens. Given the longstanding need for these improvements, the city is committed to implementing them as planned and on schedule to enhance residents’ quality of life.
Perspective view of Hwachaerak Center for Urban Regeneration in Hwache Village, Sokcho. Provided by Sokcho City
A city official stated, “Safe walking and smooth vehicle flow are directly linked to the quality of life for our citizens,” expressing a strong commitment to phased improvements for establishing a safe daily transportation system.
Sokcho City has made it clear that its goal is to integrate the three major areas of daily infrastructure-working conditions, living environment, and daily transportation-into a unified structure to improve the quality of life for its citizens.
A Sokcho City official said, “Small changes can greatly transform daily life,” adding, “We will address inconveniences that are felt on the ground first, creating positive changes that citizens can experience every day.”
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