Creation of Cultural Space Utilizing Idle Facilities of Geochang County Agricultural and Livestock Cooperatives

Nonghyup Underground Warehouse Transformed into Imagination Rental Space, Chukhyup Warehouse Becomes Youth Cultural Space

Creating Cultural Spaces by Utilizing Idle Spaces
Photo by Geochang-gun

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Geochang-gun, Gyeongnam Province announced on the 26th that it will lease and purchase two idle facilities of the Nonghyup and Livestock Cooperative in Geochang-eup to create cultural sharing spaces for residents.

First, the underground space of the Nonghyup County Branch located at 133 Jungang-ro, Geochang-eup will be remodeled into a multifunctional cultural space.

As the Nonghyup Hanaro Mart relocated, this space has been vacant for over ten years. This year, it was selected as a resident-led project under the Gyeongsangnam-do Resident Participation Budget, receiving provincial funding to promote the project under the name "Imagination Revived by the Light of Culture Rental Office."

Next, the former Livestock Cooperative warehouse at 42 Jeongjang-gil, Geochang-eup, which was used as a feed warehouse, was purchased by the county at the end of last year to be developed into a cultural space for youth. Remodeling construction is scheduled to begin at the end of this month. The former Livestock Cooperative warehouse is near Gyeongnam Provincial Geochang College and Arim High School, making it a promising youth hub space.

Both locations are rural idle spaces that have been discussed for utilization mainly by local youth over the past few years. It is noteworthy that the active involvement of interested local council members and administration worked in harmony to promote the project, and that it is not an administration-led "build first, find utilization later" project.

The county held four workshops throughout April to explore ways to utilize the Nonghyup underground space. The first workshop targeted local cultural artists, the second targeted local youth, and the third targeted housewives in their 30s and 40s.

On the 22nd, a joint workshop was held where workshop participants and youth engaged in discussions by type and presented the results. County Governor Gu In-mo and Geochang County Council member Kwon Soon-mo also participated in the fourth joint workshop on the 22nd.

Governor Gu said, "There were idle spaces such as the Livestock Cooperative warehouse and Nonghyup warehouse in the Gangnam and Gangbuk areas of Geochang. We will do our best in administrative and financial roles to ensure these spaces can be developed into excellent cultural spaces that encompass all generations." He expressed support for the transformation of Geochang’s idle spaces into places that residents want to revisit.

The county plans to complete the remodeling of these two spaces within the year, creating multifunctional cultural spaces that anyone in the county can easily visit and where various activities can take place.

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