[Issue] Demolition of Entertainment District in Front of Gwangju Songjeong Station... Honam Gateway to Be Revamped

On the morning of the 3rd, closed entertainment establishments were left abandoned in an alley opposite Gwangju Songjeong Station in Songjeong-dong, Gwangsan District, Gwangju. Photo by Song Bohyun

On the morning of the 3rd in Songjeong-dong, Gwangsan District, Gwangju, dust had piled up thick on the glass windows, some of which were left broken. The faded signs still remained. The alley that once lit up the night is dark even during the day. This stretch, opposite Gwangju Songjeong Station and lined with long-abandoned entertainment establishments, has long presented a scene far removed from the idea of a "gateway to the city." In the past, this area was known as the so-called "Songjeong-ri 1003-beonji."

Gwangsan District is launching a project to clean up this alley. In connection with the expansion of the station plaza, the district will carry out a redevelopment project for entertainment facilities, demolishing 11 aging buildings and creating a ground-level parking lot and a pocket park. The parking lot will have a total floor area of 900 square meters (35 spaces), and the pocket park will cover 585 square meters.

Space left untouched even after legal and policy changes

According to Gwangsan District, this area developed in the 1950s as a hinterland to a key transport and military hub and then became fixed as an entertainment district. Along with the stigma of being a red-light district (a concentrated entertainment area), a negative label of "youth curfew zone" was attached to the front of Songjeong Station.

After the enforcement in 2004 of the Act on the Punishment of Intermediating in the Sex Trade, etc. and the Act on the Prevention of Sexual Traffic and Protection, etc. of Victims, as well as a fatal fire in 2005, the businesses declined and disappeared. However, on the opposite side alley, old buildings of closed entertainment establishments that have been left unattended for more than 20 years remained, and the risk of collapse and repeated illegal dumping of garbage have been continuously pointed out.

The image shows the pre-redevelopment condition of the closed entertainment district opposite Gwangju Songjeong Station, commonly called "Songjeong-ri 1003beonji", an area densely packed with entertainment establishments. Provided by Gwangsan District

Attempts at improvement, including through urban regeneration projects, were made, but Gwangsan District explains that the area was left in a slum-like state for a long time because implementation momentum, such as the participation of commercial property owners, could not be secured.

In addition, at the request of Gwangsan District, some land parcels were included in the Gwangju Songjeong Station KTX Leading Investment Zone development project area, but most of the entertainment commercial buildings were excluded, creating an urgent need for separate measures.

Demolition of aging buildings... creation of parking lot and pocket park

The project period runs from February this year to December 2029. The target area is the cluster of entertainment facilities across from Songjeong Station, and the project includes compensation for 15 land parcels, demolition of 11 aging buildings, and the creation of a parking lot and a pocket park. The total project cost is 6.6 billion won (from the Special Account for Parking Lot Projects). Before the main redevelopment, Gwangsan District plans to first improve the streetscape by installing nighttime lighting and staging displays mainly along the main road.

Conceptual plan proposed by Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, for the former entertainment district across from Gwangju Songjeong Station after cleanup. It shows plans to demolish aging buildings and create a parking lot and a ssamji swimteo. Provided by Gwangsan-gu.

After the parking lot and pocket park are created, Gwangsan District is also considering operating the area as a parking lot during the daytime and using it in the evenings and on weekends as an "open space" for markets and street food stalls with participation from young people and local merchants. The district also presented a plan to operate the pocket park as a cultural and arts hub for street performances and exhibitions.

Redevelopment to proceed with procedures and variables in mind... decision to prioritize building the parking lot

In the implementation schedule organized by Gwangsan District, the total project duration is presented as 26 months at the shortest to 50 months at the longest. The first phase (20 months at the shortest to 44 months at the longest) consists of: changing the urban management plan and preparing the detailed design (about 6 months); reflecting the project in the mid-term local fiscal plan, undergoing local fiscal investment review, deliberation on public property, and obtaining council approval for the public property management plan; deciding on the urban planning facility (parking lot) (about 6 to 18 months); and then approval of the implementation plan and land compensation and demolition (about 8 to 20 months). The second phase (creation of the parking lot and pocket park) is expected to take about 6 months.

However, if it is difficult to purchase privately owned land, a decision designating an urban planning facility may be required for expropriation, and there are concerns that administrative litigation could be filed seeking cancellation of the facility designation during the process. It was also noted as a potential problem that, if agreement on compensation for land and above-ground objects is not reached, expropriation adjudication procedures (by the Local Land Expropriation Committee or the Central Land Expropriation Committee) will be necessary.

On the morning of the 3rd, dust and traces of damage remained on the glass windows of a shuttered entertainment establishment in an alley across from Gwangju Songjeong Station in Songjeong-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Song Bohyeon

Gwangsan District cited the following reasons for the need for this redevelopment: damage to the image of Gwangju as a gateway city; the continued existence of an area vulnerable to crime and safety risks; and the need to respond to changes in urban space resulting from the creation of the KTX Leading Investment Zone (commercial area). In departmental review comments, the district concluded that it is reasonable to build the parking lot as a pre-emptive measure in anticipation of increased station users due to additional KTX services and possible integration with SRT, and in preparation for changes in the station area following the establishment of the leading investment zone.

Expected benefits include resolving urban safety issues by refurbishing long-abandoned entertainment buildings and providing convenient parking facilities, revitalizing the local economy by improving convenience for users of the commercial district around 1913 Songjeong Station Market, and enhancing the city's recognizability by making distinctive use of the space.

Gwangsan District Mayor Park Byunggyu said, "The current state of the space that first catches the eye of visitors to Gwangju is a challenge that can no longer be postponed," adding, "Through pre-emptive and strategic redevelopment, we will transform the area opposite Gwangju Songjeong Station into a place where citizens want to stay."