Gwangju Dong-gu Losing Identity: 'Asia Food Culture Street' Wasting Public Funds for 7 Years

Started in 2014 at 'Gusicheong Intersection' Entertainment District

No Asian Cuisine Restaurants, Still Lined with Bars

Trash and Cigarette Butts Scattered Everywhere, Citizens Frown

Garbage and cigarette butts are scattered in the Asia Food Culture Street in Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jo Hyung-joo] Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, which ambitiously promoted the ‘Asia Food Culture Street’ project seven years ago, is still struggling to establish itself and is losing its identity, leading to criticism that public funds are being wasted.

This area has long been one of Gwangju’s representative entertainment districts favored by young people. From the outset, voices have emerged saying that the Asia Food Culture Street project was doomed to fail due to a lack of thorough preliminary research and a showy administrative approach.

According to Dong-gu on the 1st, the district started the ‘Asia Food Culture Street Development Project’ in 2014 as part of a leading tourism program for a culture-centered city.

By 2023, a total of 24.5 billion KRW was planned to be invested, including 6.9 billion KRW in national funds, 3.8 billion KRW in city funds, 3.8 billion KRW in district funds, and 10 billion KRW in private capital, to create a specialized street linked with the National Asia Culture Center.

However, despite 2023?the original completion target?approaching rapidly, the project is still regarded as a failure.

In fact, when visiting the area the previous afternoon, it was difficult to find any specialty restaurants representing Asian cuisine; instead, the street was lined with bars and franchise restaurants. Moreover, the sign ‘Culture Street’ seemed ironic as trash and cigarette butts were scattered throughout the area, causing a frown.

Although the impact of COVID-19 was cited, many vacant stores were also noticeable.

Many citizens were unaware that this area was supposed to be the Asia Food Culture Street. They simply saw it as a long-standing entertainment district.

The original intention to introduce visitors to the National Asia Culture Center to Namdo cuisine and offer unique dishes from various Asian countries to revitalize the commercial district was not reflected at all.

University student Kim (24) said, “I don’t know where to go to try Asian food,” and criticized, “It’s closed at lunchtime and only bars are open in the evening?isn’t this just an entertainment district?”

Another citizen pointed out, “This place is just the old ‘Old City Hall Intersection’ bar district that has existed for a long time; the grand name of Asia Food Culture Street doesn’t fit.”

This is why there are voices saying that thorough preliminary research and proper planning were not established before starting the project to create an Asia Food Culture Street in an area already established as an entertainment district.

Given this situation, Dong-gu Mayor Lim Taek announced earlier this year that 4 billion KRW would be invested to develop the Asia Food Culture Street into a global luxury market by creating an ‘Asia Food Tourism Luxury Hub Space’ in the printing street of Seonam-dong.

Dong-gu expects this to be linked with the Printing Street New Deal project, which is being promoted as an urban regeneration project, anticipating new synergy effects for downtown tourism centered on the National Asia Culture Center as well as revitalization of the old downtown. However, citizens unanimously express concern that this too will end up as a waste of public funds.

Regarding this, a Dong-gu official lamented, “The Asia Food Culture District was recognized as an entertainment district called Old City Hall Intersection even before the project started, making it difficult for restaurants to settle.”

He added, “High rents have been set, and many building owners live in other regions, so there is little will to revitalize the food culture street. On top of that, COVID-19 struck in 2020, making it a difficult project,” he explained.

He continued, “We are making efforts to find the street’s identity,” and said, “The ultimate goal is to create a cultural street where music flows, finding the street’s identity and color like Dongmyeong-dong or Yangnim-dong.”

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