Gwangju Dong-gu, Countdown to Recovering Population of 100,000

Agreement to Establish a Public Children's Daycare Center within the Former Gyelim 8 District Housing Cooperative 'Grand Central'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Dong-gu, which had to endure administrative and financial disadvantages as its population dropped to around 95,000 for a while, is now on the verge of recovering its population to 100,000.

This is because the largest residential complex in Honam, consisting of a total of about 2,300 households currently under construction within the autonomous district, has taken the first step to proceed with its move-in schedule.

On the 2nd, Gwangju Metropolitan City Dong-gu announced that it signed an agreement with the Gyelim 8 District Housing Redevelopment Maintenance Association to install and operate a public daycare center within 'Gwangju Grand Central.'

Gwangju Grand Central is a massive apartment complex with 2,336 households built by the Gyelim 8 Redevelopment Association in the area of 493 Gyelim-dong, Dong-gu.

With the move-in scheduled to begin next month, Dong-gu decided to operate a daycare center by receiving the facility as a donation from the developer, the Gyelim 8 District Redevelopment Association, to enhance convenience for residents with infants and toddlers and provide high-quality childcare services, formalizing this agreement on the day.

The district plans to create an environment where young couples in their 20s to 40s can safely entrust their children by installing and operating a public daycare center within the complex, aiming to attract population inflow.

Dong-gu, known as the political hub of Honam and the center of administration, economy, and culture in the Gwangju-Jeonnam region, saw its population decline from around 300,000 in the 1970s to about 200,000 in the 1980s due to urban hollowing and migration to new towns.

By the 1990s, the population sharply dropped to the 100,000 range, and in 2015, it even fell below 100,000.

By December 2017, Dong-gu's population had decreased to 95,448, about 6.5% of the total population of Gwangju City. According to the Local Autonomy Act, administrative organizations were downsized, the rank of the deputy head was lowered, and administrative and financial disadvantages such as reduced grants followed.

However, various urban regeneration and housing redevelopment projects have gained momentum, providing an opportunity for reversal.

With the Grand Central move-in as the first achievement, not only will the population recover to 100,000 at once, but it will also be possible to aim for the 110,000 mark.

Im Taek, Mayor of Dong-gu, said, “Dong-gu is being revitalized through the redevelopment of the old downtown area,” and added, “We will improve educational conditions and actively implement policies to encourage childbirth to attract population inflow.”

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