The Mountain Where Gunshots Fell Silent to Be Transformed into a Public Cultural and Sports Complex

220,000 Square Meters Around Sinpyeong Reserve Forces Training Center in Busan
Plans to Establish a Sports, Culture, and Recreation SOC Hub

The Sinpyeong Reserve Forces Training Center in Busan will be transformed into a 'public sports space'.

The Busan Metropolitan Government has announced a development plan to turn the Sinpyeong Reserve Forces Training Center site in Saha District, which had remained unused for a long period, into a complex cultural and sports space.

On January 12, the city stated that it plans to develop the 220,000-square-meter area around the Sinpyeong Reserve Forces Training Center into a community social infrastructure (SOC) equipped with sports, cultural, and recreational functions. This site had been used as a military facility for over 40 years, and since the Ministry of National Defense integrated and relocated reserve forces training centers in 2022, discussions have been underway regarding its future use.

The city initiated this project in consideration of the relative lack of community sports facilities in western Busan and the increasing demand for recreational sports. Among the 16 districts and counties, Saha District has a relatively low level of sports infrastructure. Since last year, the Gangseo Indoor Gymnasium has been used as a home facility for a professional volleyball team, which has highlighted the need to secure alternative sports facilities.

Aerial perspective of the development site for Sinpyeong Reserve Forces Training Center.

Given that the development site is elevated and has many steep slopes, the city plans to minimize environmental damage in its planning. Once the Ministry of National Defense completes soil decontamination and the demolition of existing facilities, the Busan Metropolitan Government will proceed with administrative procedures to acquire the land.

The project will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, a complex cultural and sports facility will be built, featuring a multipurpose gymnasium, outdoor sports facilities, and parking lots. The project cost is estimated at approximately 28 billion won. This year, Busan plans to finalize the urban planning facility designation and establish a basic plan, then proceed with detailed design and land acquisition in 2027, aiming to begin construction and complete the project by 2029.

In the second phase, additional community sports facilities reflecting public demand will be built on the eastern side of the first-phase site. The specific composition of these facilities will be determined after gathering public feedback.

The city also plans to operate sports and recreational programs in conjunction with the nearby Dongmaesan Urban and Children’s Forest Experience Center and, in cooperation with Saha District, expand the access road by 2028 to improve accessibility. The current access road, which is 5 to 6 meters wide, will be widened to 12 meters.

Park Hyungjun, Mayor of Busan, emphasized, "This is a project to convert a space that was closed off as a military facility into a public space for citizens," adding, "We will focus our administrative capabilities on securing funding and driving the project forward."

Conceptual Plan for the Development of the Sinpyeong Reserve Forces Training Ground Site