Gijang-gun Forced Labor Historic Site 'Gwangsan Village' Selected as a Saetteul Village Project Target

Gwangsan Village selected as a target site for the 'Saetteul Village Project' (Photo by Gijang-gun)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Woo-kwon] Busan City announced on the 7th that Gwangsan Village in 663-7, Won-ri, Ilgwang-myeon, Gijang-gun has been selected as a target site for the '2020 Saetteul Village Project' contest hosted by the National Balanced Development Committee.

Gwangsan Village is a place that suffered forced labor mobilization during the Japanese colonial period, to the extent that it was called the "Hell Village," and traces of this remain throughout the village.

However, the village entrance signboard is the only marker informing of this painful history, so through this project, the plan is to preserve it as a historical record and create a space that can be cherished as a cultural heritage for future generations.

Busan City plans to create a themed street that tells the story of the pain from the Japanese colonial era, along with alleyway maintenance, demolition of public and abandoned houses, CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) projects, communal living homes (+ small shower rooms), and resident capacity-building projects. The plan includes making an Olle-gil trail from the area lined with cypress trees to the entrance of the 'Dareumsan' hiking course.

Additionally, a local writer will be commissioned to compile the story of Gwangsan Village into a book, ensuring that the village is forever preserved in the memories of its residents.

The project period is three years, from this year through 2022. The city will proceed with the project after forming a specialized advisory group by field within the region and a village residents' council to establish detailed execution plans and conduct more specific research and review of the Gwangsan Village area.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.