Gwangju Dong-gu Dongmyeong-dong Reborn as a Representative Cultural Village Embracing 'Gwangju-daum'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Dongmyeong-dong in Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City is evolving into a representative cultural village embodying the essence of Gwangju.

On the afternoon of the 25th, Gwangju Metropolitan City held a completion report meeting for the ‘Dongmyeong-dong Cultural Village Master Plan Establishment Project’ at the city hall small conference room, attended by Mayor Lee Yong-seop, experts in related fields, representatives from Dong-gu, Gwangju, and local residents.

The project to create a representative cultural village embodying the essence of Gwangju involves a total investment of 17 billion KRW from this year through 2023. It focuses on restoring the identity of the aging alleys in the Dongmyeong-dong area, renovating cultural hub spaces utilizing modern assets, and supporting projects to revitalize various local shops.

The Dongmyeong-dong area was a residential district formed around Donggyecheon outside the East Gate of Gwangju Eupseong, which was demolished during the Japanese colonial period. It played a central role in history, transportation, education, administration, culture, and business during the formation and expansion of Gwangju City.

It is a place that preserves unique architectural styles reflecting the urban structure and era of the modern city formation period, which are hard to find in other regions. It has attracted attention as a cultural space filled with unique cafes, popular restaurants, workshops, and architecture and design offices, drawing young generations and tourists.

This project aims to embody Dongmyeong-dong’s unique regional identity (locality) in space, foster and connect the organically emerging creative flows, and inject new vitality. It emphasizes expanding such spatial environments into culture and lifestyle industries to drive regional development, linking with Gwangju’s core cultural facilities such as the Asia Culture Center, Jeonil Building 245, and Yangnim-dong Craft Specialty Street, thereby turning them into tourism resources.

The final master plan defines Dongmyeong-dong’s regional identity (locality), which is filled with the life and time of Gwangju’s neighborhoods and alleys, representative cafes and restaurants, local shops and workshops of young people, as ‘Gwangju-ness.’ It proposes ways to inject new vitality into people, culture, and economy to amplify Dongmyeong-dong’s unique Gwangju-ness and brand the area.

The Dongmyeong-dong area will be developed with four thematic streets along the main roads: Donggyecheon-ro’s north-south and east-west axes, Jangdong-ro, and Dongmyeong-ro. These themes are Experience and Culture Street, Rest and Relaxation Street, Meeting and Play Street, and Communication and Coexistence Street.

Professor Oh Se-gyu of Chonnam National University, who participated as the master planner in the project, said, “Dongmyeong-dong is the very essence of Gwangju, where the city’s breath is deeply embedded. The master plan contains a plan of activities to maintain Dongmyeong-dong’s identity. If this project is realized, we will be able to revive the layered memories of our city along the streets of Dongmyeong-dong.”

Mayor Lee Yong-seop said, “Dongmyeong-dong can symbolize Gwangju’s ‘Old Future’ as a living and working place for Gwangju people and a cultural playground. It is a place with a regional identity representing Gwangju, and the city plans to brand it as Gwangju’s representative cultural village. We will expand and connect Gwangju’s uniqueness by linking it with the Asia Culture Center, Jeonil Building 245, and Yangnim-dong Craft Specialty Street.”

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