[Interview] Park Kyum-soo, Gangbuk District Mayor: "With the Opening of Uuidong Resort Condo, We Will Stand Tall as the Premier 'Mountain Culture Tourism Destination' for Extended Stays"

Condo-equipped Ui-dong area in Bukhansan, an optimal location to fully bloom mountain culture, utilizing unique local resources as a stay-type mountain culture hub and a prominent historical and cultural tourist city

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “We hope the resort condominium will serve as a hub for experiential tourism, connecting the historical and cultural resources in the area like a single thread.”

In an interview with this publication, Park Kyum-su, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, said, “It will open a new horizon in urban tourism that has never been experienced before,” emphasizing the significance of the opening of the resort condominium.

He added, “The last puzzle piece of the ‘1-night 2-day tour course with stories,’ which Gangbuk-gu has promoted for the past 10 years, has been completed,” and expressed hope that it will bring a synergistic effect to the area along with the Uidong Family Camping Site.

The resort condominium project in Uidong Recreation Area was a painful issue for Mayor Park. The project, which began in 2009, went through many ups and downs. The developer went bankrupt in 2012, and the construction company entered court receivership in 2014.

Mayor Park said, “When the bankruptcy and court receivership procedures were underway, the future looked bleak,” and added, “Residents raised their voices demanding drastic measures, asking how long this troublesome project would be left as it was.”

The local community and the district office tried to support the normalization of the project, but faced repeated difficulties. After a new developer was selected in 2018, the project gained momentum. Seoul City and Gangbuk-gu formed a special organization involving the developer and, after numerous discussions, led the project to normalization. At the end of 2019, before the resumption of construction, the district signed a “Business Agreement to Secure the Public Interest of the Resort Condominium” with the developer. On the 27th of last month, both parties signed an operational agreement based on the public interest fulfillment so far.

First, 110 out of the total 334 rooms have been opened to the public. The rooftop garden, sculpture park, and walking trails are also accessible to everyone. As a win-win measure, local residents are employed in the operation of the condominium, and local businesses are allowed to participate. Local residents receive partial discounts on room and facility fees.

Additionally, the project developer agreed to provide at least one-third of the exhibition hall usage days to local artists. A pedestrian bridge over Baeguncheon Stream connecting the surrounding neighborhoods and the condominium, as well as donated facilities, have been established.

In particular, the district designated the donated facilities as a mountain exhibition and experience center and has been working on the spatial design since the end of last year. Based on a basic planning service, the advisory committee outlined the interior of the facility. Themed experiential spaces were created around “Himalaya,” “Um Hong-gil,” and “Bukhansan,” and the name “Uidong Mountain Culture Hub” was given. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)-based training systems, an indoor climbing wall, and exercise equipment were installed, adding the concept of a training ground for novice mountaineers.

There is a reason why Gangbuk-gu has taken the lead in normalizing the resort condominium and creating the mountain exhibition and experience center. Mayor Park explained, “It is because of the characteristics of the Uidong area.”

The condominium near Bukhansan Uijeongbu Station is surrounded by mountain tourism resources. Centered around a rotary intersection are the Uidong Family Camping Site and the Forest Culture Village, where visitors can enjoy traditional local food. Nearby, the Uiryeong Trail connects, and the hiking trail that leads to the fastest ascent of Bukhansan Insu Peak extends. Along the way, there is a free hiking boot rental shop for foreigners and a meeting plaza, a gathering spot for mountaineers. Behind the plaza, an international-scale artificial climbing wall will soon be built. The section from Bukhansan Uijeongbu Station to the hiking boot rental shop is also being renovated into a leisure culture specialized street.

Mayor Park Kyum-su said, “The Uidong area, where the condominium is located, is the optimal location to fully blossom Bukhansan mountain culture,” and added, “We will utilize the unique resources of the region to become a stay-type mountain culture center and a city of historical and cultural tourism.”

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