Guinmo Geochang County Governor's Major Projects for Residents' Happiness Bear Fruit in May

Opening of Handeul Bridge, Geochang Changpowyun Opening, Elevator Test Tower Groundbreaking
Three Consecutive Years of Joint Evaluation Awards for Major Tasks in the 7th Elected Term

Gu In-mo, Mayor of Geochang County

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Geochang-gun, Gyeongnam Province, has shone brightly in May under the leadership of County Governor Gu In-mo, as the large-scale projects that have been diligently pursued were successfully completed, reflecting continuous efforts to realize the 'Greater Geochang Leap, Era of Citizen Happiness.'

Following the resolution of three major pending issues?the construction of Geochang Detention Center, relocation of Geochang Branch and Geochang District Office within the Legal Town, and normalization of the Geochang International Theater Festival?Geochang has seen the opening of Handul Bridge, the inauguration of Geochang Changpowon, groundbreaking of the elevator test tower and industrial complex hall, and has won the joint evaluation of major city and county tasks for three consecutive years, raising expectations for the second half of the 7th local government administration.

Near the Geochang Sports Complex, a large apartment complex has formed, continuously raising the need for a bridge to alleviate traffic congestion in the urban area and promote balanced regional development.

To address this, the Handul Bridge construction project was included and prioritized within the 'Georyeolsanseong Access Road' project, which is being promoted as a northern outer ring road for Geochang-eup.

As a result, on the 13th, Handul Bridge, the sixth bridge connecting the north and south of Geochang-eup, finally held its opening ceremony and proudly revealed its grandeur.

Handul Bridge is 194 meters long and 20 meters wide, having started construction in February 2018 and completed in March this year, with a project cost of 15 billion KRW.

Moreover, the former county governor is also promoting a roundabout project in Geochang-eup's urban area with a budget of 3.5 billion KRW to alleviate vehicle congestion.

Among eight candidate sites suitable for roundabout installation, the projects at Georyeolgyo, Arimgyo, Junganggyo, and the southern end of Changdonggyo are being prioritized to enable nonstop vehicle movement from Georyeolgyo to the intercity bus terminal.

Along with the opening of Handul Bridge, the county plans to proceed smoothly with the ongoing 'Georyeolsanseong Access Road Construction' to form an outer ring road around Geochang-eup, disperse traffic that has been concentrated in the downtown area, create development conditions for the northern part of Geochang-eup, and do its best for balanced development of the county.

Following last year's nationwide first opening of the 'Y-shaped Suspension Bridge,' the county has once again announced the birth of a remarkable star in the tourism sector.

On the 15th, Geochang Changpowon officially opened, becoming the protagonist. Although the event was modestly prepared due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the response has been explosive.

Changpowon, which opened simply with exhibitions of one million Iris flowers and Armiya flowers, is gaining attention as a landmark of Geochang along with the 'Y-shaped Suspension Bridge.'

Covering approximately 424,823 square meters (132,000 pyeong), equivalent to 66 soccer fields, Geochang Changpowon was created with a total project cost of 23.9 billion KRW over seven years from 2011 to 2017, aiming to utilize ecological resources as tourism assets, focusing mainly on Iris, one of the world's four most beautiful flowers, as well as water purification.

The county is further promoting the second Changpowon project, covering 467,170 square meters (140,000 pyeong), with a total project cost of 56.8 billion KRW fully funded by the national government, targeting completion in 2024.

Additionally, following the selection of the 'Smart Elevator Demonstration Platform Construction Project' worth 20 billion KRW by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in April, on the 24th, an event was held marking another leap forward for the county as a global elevator industry city.

Construction has begun on the industrial complex hall, which will serve as the largest certified elevator test tower and elevator specialized education center in Korea, located within the Geochang Elevator Specialized Agricultural and Industrial Complex, with a total project cost of 32 billion KRW.

The elevator test tower is 125 meters high and covers 2,116 square meters. It is a project supported by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to meet certification demands under the revised Elevator Safety Act. The elevator industrial complex hall is part of the 'World Elevator Hub City Creation Project' selected in 2019, with a budget of 24.1 billion KRW, including a dormitory and test building, spanning one basement floor and three above-ground floors totaling 6,037 square meters, scheduled for completion in November this year.

The newly constructed tower, together with the current Geochang Elevator Tower 1, will become a new landmark of the elevator industry city Geochang and be used as a complex cultural space. It is also expected to greatly contribute to the development of Korea's elevator industry, securing global competitiveness, and revitalizing the local economy.

Notably, on the 21st of this month, Gyeongsangnam-do announced outstanding achievements by winning two awards in the '2021 Joint Evaluation of Major City and County Tasks.'

This marks the third consecutive year of awards since 2019, following the launch of the 7th local government, demonstrating the excellent administrative capabilities of Governor Gu, who has earned the title of 'Master of Administration' since taking office.

Governor Gu said, "It is regrettable that the opening ceremonies of Handul Bridge, Changpowon, and the groundbreaking of the elevator test tower and industrial complex hall were held on a small scale due to COVID-19, preventing us from sharing the joy together. I thank the citizens for their dedication and support in completing these large projects, and I will ensure that the ongoing pending projects proceed without any setbacks."

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