청 "Response to 'Chinatown' National Petition... Local Government Projects Must Contribute to National Brand"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Regarding the petition to withdraw the Gangwon-do Han-China Cultural Town, which sparked controversy over the 'Chinatown,' the Blue House stated, "Local government projects should contribute to enhancing the national brand of Korea."

On the 28th, the Blue House responded to two national petitions related to the 'Withdrawal of Gangwon-do Han-China Cultural Town.'

The petition, supported by 670,000 citizens, opposed the Gangwon-do Han-China Cultural Town, calling it a 'Chinatown,' and also opposed the construction of a hotel for foreigners at the Chuncheon Jungdo Prehistoric Site.

The Blue House said, "Various tourism development projects promoted by local governments should ultimately promote the excellence of Korean culture and contribute to enhancing Korea's national brand," adding, "The government will also closely examine whether the projects are being planned appropriately for their purposes and whether they are realistically feasible while creatively exploring various ideas."

However, it added that the project was canceled after a private business operator announced a review of the project in April, and included the operator's explanation that the Han-China Cultural Town is not a 'Chinatown' but a theme-type tourist complex based on traditional and modern cultural elements of Korea and China.

It also emphasized that Gangwon Provincial Office stated that claims in the petition such as 'transferring Gangwon-do land to China,' 'hotel construction at Jungdo archaeological site,' and '1 trillion won of taxpayers' money invested' are 'not true.'

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