Gimhae City, a Smooth Path to Infrastructure Expansion through Large-Scale National Funded Facility Attraction

A bird's-eye view of Gyeongnam National Gimhae Forest Center. [Image source=Gimhae City]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province, is efficiently attracting major national facilities to expand urban infrastructure with excellent results in various national competitions without spending city funds.

According to the city on the 31st, starting with the Hwapocheon Wetland Conservation Management Center, a national wetland in 2018, the city has attracted and is developing five national facilities including the National Yongjibong Natural Recreation Forest, National Gaya History and Culture Center, National Gimhae Forest Experience Center, and recently the National Healing Agriculture Expansion Center.

The total project cost for these five facilities amounts to 112 billion KRW, but the city funds invested amount to only 9 billion KRW for the Hwapocheon Wetland Conservation Management Center.

In July, the city was selected for the Rural Development Administration's public project, attracting the country's only National Healing Agriculture Expansion Center, leading the expansion of healing agriculture and the realization of public value as a leading city in healing agriculture.

The center will be established on a 16,769㎡ site in Bonsan-ri, Jinyeong-eup, with an investment of 30 billion KRW by 2025. It will include a Healing Ecological Agriculture Hall, Healing Garden, Healing Ecological Experience Hall, and Healing Activity Practice Room, operating support for healing agriculture startups, a healing agriculture qualification system, and agricultural education programs.

The National Gimhae Forest Experience Center, scheduled to begin construction in January next year, will be developed by the Korea Forest Welfare Institute with an investment of 20 billion KRW. It will be located on 178 hectares of national forest in Daegam-ri, Sangdong-myeon, and will include a forest education center, forest healing center, lodging facilities, forest camping site, healing forest, and forest leisure facilities, completing comprehensive forest service facilities by 2024.

The National Gaya History and Culture Center is a fully government-funded project by the Cultural Heritage Administration with a budget of 29.5 billion KRW. It will be constructed on a 6,060㎡ site in Gwandong-dong, featuring a complex cultural space integrating a library, archive, and museum functions in a building with one basement floor and three above-ground floors, currently undergoing design feasibility review for completion by 2024.

The National Yongjibong Natural Recreation Forest will be developed by the end of this year on a 66,000㎡ site in the Yongjibong area with a national budget of 8.6 billion KRW, including lodging facilities, sports facilities, a visitor center, and experience and education facilities.

The Hwapocheon Wetland Conservation Management Center, located on a 16,690㎡ site in Bonsan-ri, Jinyeong-eup, a national wetland protection area, is investing a total of 24 billion KRW including 10 billion KRW in national funds to build a 4,900㎡, three-story wetland ecology center with a large conference room and smart experience center for systematic conservation of the wetland.

Mayor Heo Seong-gon said, "I am pleased to have attracted a large number of national facility infrastructures that enhance the city's prestige and provide high-quality services to citizens without spending much city funds," adding, "We will continue to do our best to increase the happiness index of our citizens."

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