Gyeongju City's Reverse Thinking... Launching a Cruise Ship in 'Gampo Port Waterfront Space' for Typhoon Damage Recovery

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Create Drainage Channel Through Gampo Port Waterfront Area
Gyeongju City Plans to Utilize 417m Long 'Tourism Canal'

Aerial view of the 'mini canal' in front of the Gampo Port waterfront area in Gyeongju.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Dong-wook] A 417-meter-long 'mini canal' that allows small cruise ships to operate will be created in the sea off Gyeongju.

According to Gyeongju City on the 13th, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will construct a drainage channel that runs through the entire waterfront area of Gampo Port, which was damaged by seawater overflow caused by Typhoon Maysak, the 9th typhoon.

This project aims to create a waterway for seawater to drain during disasters such as typhoons. Once completed, Gyeongju City explains that a de facto 'mini canal' measuring 417 meters in total length, 20 meters in width, and 5 meters in depth will be formed.

Inspired by this structure, Gyeongju City has planned to utilize this area as a 'tourist canal' that can serve as a landmark for local tourism. When the waterway is opened, a 2.5 km cruise route will be created, passing through the 417-meter waterfront canal and returning along the southern breakwater of Gampo Port back to the waterfront area.

The city has set a roadmap to begin full-scale preparations around April 2021, when the detailed design for the restoration of Gampo Port damage is completed, and to start construction in the first half of 2022. If the plan proceeds as scheduled, it is expected to be completed by March 2023.

The construction cost will be 8 billion KRW. Initially, 4 billion KRW from the waterfront restoration project budget and 4 billion KRW from the 10 billion KRW 'Gampo Premium Fishing Village Theme Village Development Project' will be allocated.

Once the canal is created, ancillary facilities such as water cafes and waterfront shops will be established around the small cruise ship dock. The operation is expected to be managed by the Gyeongju City Facilities Management Corporation, considering both public interest and profitability.

Mayor Joo Nak-young emphasized, "This project, which has already received 1.5 billion KRW in national funding for detailed design, is a twofold initiative that creates a waterway for seawater to flow during disasters such as typhoons and simultaneously operates small cruise ships on it, ensuring residents' safety and revitalizing the local tourism industry."

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