Gwangju City Reflects Citizens' Opinions in Jeoseoksan Ecological Restoration

Mayor Lee Yong-seop Holds 22nd On-Site Listening Day

On the afternoon of the 9th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, attended the 22nd "Field Listening Day" event held at the resting area of Bongseon 2 Neighborhood Park in Jeoseoksan, Bongseon-dong, Nam-gu, and toured the ecological trail along the edge of Jeoseoksan. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City is restoring the ecology of Jeseoksan Mountain by reflecting citizens' opinions.

On the 9th, Mayor Lee Yong-seop held the 22nd 'On-site Listening Day' at the resting area of Bongseon 2 Neighborhood Park on the edge of Jeseoksan Mountain in Bongseon-dong, Nam-gu, and toured the area around the edge of Jeseoksan Mountain, which has been severely damaged by illegal cultivation and waste abandonment, together with local residents and ecological restoration experts, and then listened to opinions related to the ecological restoration project.

The event was held with the participation of Mayor Lee Yong-seop, Nam-gu District Chief Kim Byung-nae, City Councilor Im Mi-ran, and about 30 local residents, and was moderated by Choi Young-tae, Chairman of the Citizens' Rights Committee.

Although the Jeseoksan Mountain trail is located near the urban area, there have been many criticisms that the forest has been severely damaged due to soil contamination caused by illegal cultivation, dumping and abandonment of various household wastes, and that the aging of the trail deck poses a high risk of safety accidents.

In addition, there was a lack of ecological experience and resting spaces for nearby residents and visitors, resulting in low user satisfaction and strong demands for improvement measures.

One citizen suggested, "I often use the Jeseoksan hiking trail, but some parts of the forest have been indiscriminately excavated, and various wastes have been left unattended, which was unpleasant to the eye," adding, "I hope that a pleasant forest ecological environment like an oasis in the city will be created through this opportunity."

Another citizen said, "Recently, due to the dense development of apartments in urban areas, citizens have fewer spaces to communicate with nature, and with COVID-19 making travel and outings difficult, spaces where people can rest with nature are more urgently needed," and added, "I hope that through this project, the Jeseoksan walking trail will be reborn as a premium resting space for citizens."

Other opinions raised included ▲ measures to block noise from Yongsan Tunnel ▲ maintenance of stairs leading from Bongseon 2 Neighborhood Park to the ecological restoration area ▲ maintenance of the noise barrier on the Gwuilwon road.

Accordingly, Gwangju City will promote the ecological restoration project by October with a national subsidy of 430 million KRW for the 'Ecological Restoration Project on the Edge of Jeseoksan Mountain,' which was selected in 2021 for the Ministry of Environment's Ecosystem Conservation Cooperation Fund return project competition.

The ecological restoration project will be carried out with contents including the creation of ecological restoration areas such as oak forest zones, ecological wetlands, scops owl refuge forests, and jewel beetle yards, as well as experiential facilities such as biotope learning centers, ecological observation decks, forest classrooms, and the establishment of guidance signboards, palm mat paths, and deck trails for visitor guidance.

Mayor Lee Yong-seop said, "We will actively reflect citizens' opinions in the Jeseoksan ecological restoration project to make it an excellent case of ecological restoration created together by citizens, local governments, and experts," and added, "We will continue to take the lead in preserving and cultivating nature so that many citizens can live healthily in nature, creating a livable city of Gwangju where nature and citizens coexist."

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