Changwon Jinhae Jungwon Square 'Modern Cultural History Space' Development ... Japanese Colonial Era Landscape

Late 1912, panoramic view of the old downtown area of Jinhae./Provided by Gyeongnam Province

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Saeyan] On the 22nd, Gyeongnam Province announced that the area around Jungwon Square in Jinhae-gu, Changwon City, has been selected as a candidate site for cultural heritage registration in the 'Modern Historical and Cultural Space Regeneration Activation Project' organized by the Cultural Heritage Administration.

The Modern Historical and Cultural Space Regeneration Activation Project is an initiative by the Cultural Heritage Administration to preserve and utilize modern and contemporary historical and cultural resources and symbolic spaces to promote the regeneration of old downtown areas and revitalize the local economy.

The Changwon Modern Historical and Cultural Space covers the area from Daecheon-dong to Changseon-dong, centered around the Jungwon Rotary in Jinhae.

It is evaluated as having high utilization value because the layout of Korea's first modern planned city is well preserved, and the urban landscape and architectural heritage of the old downtown from the Japanese colonial period to the post-liberation era are concentrated there.

The province explained that after review and deliberation by the Cultural Heritage Committee, cultural heritage registration procedures, and on-site investigations, if the area around Jungwon Square in Jinhae-gu is officially designated as a national registered cultural heritage, it will be finally selected as the target site by December next year.

If selected for this project, the province and Changwon City plan to receive up to 50 billion KRW over five years starting in 2022 to establish a preservation foundation including academic research, land acquisition within the historical and cultural space, restoration and repair of registered cultural heritage, and recovery of historical landscapes.

They also plan to promote utilization foundation projects such as creating educational, exhibition, and experiential spaces, developing operational content, and expanding convenience facilities.

Ryu Myeong-hyun, Director of the Culture, Tourism, and Sports Bureau of the province, said, “We will do our best to create a new policy model where the old downtown area's economy is revitalized and the quality of life of local residents is improved through modern and contemporary cultural heritage.”

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