Gapyeong County Invests 500 Million Won to Recreate Buk-myeon Mokdong Neighborhood Park as "Starlight Healing Forest"

Selected for the "2026 Gyeonggi-do Nightscape Creation Contest"
Creation of the "Starlight Healing Forest"

Gapyeong Mokdong Neighborhood Park in Buk-myeon, Gapyeong County, which had long been shrouded in darkness at night, is expected to be reborn as a new tourist attraction under the name "Starlight Healing Forest."

Gapyeong Mokdong Neighborhood Park transforms into a nighttime tourist attraction. Provided by Gapyeong County

Gapyeong County announced on the 23rd that Buk-myeon Mokdong Neighborhood Park has been selected as a project site for the "2026 Gyeonggi-do Nightscape Creation Contest," and that it will begin full-scale development of the "Starlight Healing Forest."

A total of 500 million won, including county funds, will be invested in this project. By December this year, the county plans to create a nighttime landscape where nature, light, and people coexist, thereby enhancing residents' safety during nighttime walking while simultaneously boosting stay-type tourism.

Buk-myeon Mokdong Neighborhood Park is located at the intersection of National Route 75 and Local Road 391, and serves as an administrative and daily-life hub of the area, with the Buk-myeon Administrative Welfare Center, a police substation, a sports park for everyday use, and Mokdong Intercity Bus Terminal nearby. However, despite its excellent location, there has been continued criticism that insufficient lighting at night has kept its recognition low and limited the inflow of foot traffic.

To address this, the county will apply a three-color theme to Mokdong Neighborhood Park, harmonizing "the light of nature, the light of play, and the light of healing." Taking into account the park’s terrain and pedestrian flow, the area will be divided into three zones: the Moonlight Greeting Path, the Starlight Playground, and the Milky Way Contemplation Trail, with lighting designed to highlight the unique characteristics of each zone.

An official from Gapyeong County said, "Once the 'Starlight Healing Forest' project is completed, it will form a nighttime landscape axis in connection with the existing tower observatory, and the center of Buk-myeon is expected to be reorganized into a tourism hub where visitors stay," adding, "We will focus on ensuring the safety and convenience of visitors and carry out the project without any setbacks."