Former Jeonnam Education Superintendent's Official Residence Transformed into Tourist Hub 'Dongmyeong Space'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] The former residence of the Jeollanam-do Superintendent of Education is being transformed into a cultural hub where travelers and residents mingle and cultural performances are held.

Gwangju Metropolitan City plans to open the facility in March next year after renovating the building through the Gwangju Representative Cultural Village Project, and this month has begun design services including structural reinforcement.

The former residence of the Jeonnam Superintendent of Education sits on a site of 374㎡ with a total floor area of 203㎡. It was completed in 1983 and housed nine superintendents until it was sold to the private sector in 2007.

Gwangju City purchased the former superintendent’s residence from the private sector last January to preserve its modern historical significance and to integrate its advantages as a versatile storytelling venue with the Representative Cultural Village Project.

Going forward, the interior of the building will be a space where travelers and residents can come together and share various tourist information about Dongmyeong-dong, while the outdoor area will be developed into a cultural space by removing the fence to allow street performances (busking), injecting new vitality into the cultural village.

Meanwhile, the Dongmyeong-dong area has served as the center of education, administration, culture, and commerce in Gwangju since the Japanese colonial period, as the city formed and expanded outside the east gate of Gwangju Eupseong. It retains the identity of the region and has recently developed into a new cultural enjoyment space in Gwangju with the emergence of academies, cafes, and workshops.

Gwangju City plans to invest 17 billion KRW by 2023 to revitalize the area’s identity and develop it as a representative cultural village of Gwangju, alongside tourist resources such as the National Asia Culture Center, Yangnim-dong Modern History Cultural Village, and Jeonil Building 245. The project includes street environment improvements, the creation of tourist hub spaces like Dongmyeong Space, parking facilities, and the operation of various cultural experience programs.

Kim Young-geun, Director of the Cultural Infrastructure Division of the city, said, “We purchased the former Jeonnam Superintendent of Education’s residence to utilize this site with historical traces of Dongmyeong-dong in a modern way and develop it as a tourist hub space. Through good programs and spatial arrangements, we will create a space where travelers and residents can share cultural sensibilities together.”

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