Geumcheon-gu Hoamsan Foot Illegal Badminton Court Transformed into Ecological Park

Through Public-Private Consultation, Five Illegal Badminton Courts on Hoamsan Foothills Are Being Repaired... Private Land Purchased to Open Privatized Badminton Courts to Residents... Illegal Facilities Removed, Forest Restoration and Ecological Park Project Underway

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yu Seong-hoon) has renovated five illegal badminton courts that were scattered on Hoamsan Mountain, damaging the forest, and transformed the area into an ecological park open to residents.

Hoamsan Mountain in Geumcheon-gu serves as a green lung and healing space within the urban areas of Siheung-dong and Doksan-dong.

Since the 1970s industrialization and the 1986 and 1988 international events, illegal badminton courts have sprung up like mushrooms along the slopes of Hoamsan Mountain. These courts were privatized by a few clubs, causing many conflicts with local residents. All five illegal badminton courts were located within the development-restricted zone.

To resolve this, the district purchased the private land where the illegal badminton courts were located, legalized the sports facilities, and created shared spaces.

Out of the five badminton courts, four have already been fully renovated and opened to residents. Illegal structures previously used as rest restaurants and warehouses were demolished and restored to streams and forest areas. The remaining one is also undergoing a project to create an ecological park accessible to all residents.

Considering that the illegal badminton courts had long been used as community sports facilities, the district held several preliminary briefing sessions over two years with the executives and members of the five clubs.

Additionally, to minimize unpleasant conflicts during the illegal facility renovation process, a public-private consultative body was formed with club members and local community autonomy committee members, facilitating on-site communication and understanding, and rebirth as an integrated community space.

Yu Seong-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, stated, “Through long negotiations, we have resolved the issue of illegal badminton courts that had been privatized for a long time and caused numerous conflicts with local residents, restoring the forest and simultaneously expanding the insufficient living SOC within the area. We will accelerate efforts to secure various living SOC so that residents can enjoy leisure and overcome COVID-19 blues.”

Geumcheon-gu Office, Parks and Greenery Division

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