Gwangju Nam-gu, Yangnim-dong Publishes Book Capturing 'Past, Present, and Future'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Residents of Yangnim-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju (Mayor Kim Byung-nae) have attracted attention by publishing a humanities journal that captures the past, present, and future of Yangnim-dong, a modern historical and cultural village.

According to the Yangnim-dong Administrative Welfare Center on the 10th, 15 organizations including the Yangnim-dong Residents' Autonomy Committee compiled the "Yangnim-dong Humanities Journal," which comprehensively covers the history of Yangnim-dong from its inception to the present, and includes analysis of current issues arising within Yangnim-dong as it has emerged as a tourist destination.

The reason the village residents produced this book is to create a Yangnim-dong where history and culture breathe.

In particular, as it is gaining attention as a treasure trove of modern historical culture, and with the successful promotion of urban regeneration projects and the creation of Penguin Village and a craft-specialized street, the number of tourists has surged, leading to social problems such as various types of garbage, filth, and parking difficulties. Therefore, the village community sought solutions at the community level.

The Yangnim-dong Humanities Journal published by the residents was produced in two volumes: the main book and a separate volume, totaling 492 pages with 228 pages in the main book and 266 pages in the separate volume.

The main book contains the history and relics of Yangnim-dong, the status of public institutions, memorial halls and art museums located in Yangnim-dong, notable figures produced by Yangnim-dong, and the status of the village community.

It also includes information on Penguin Village, a symbol of the modern historical and cultural village, the craft-specialized street where the true face of Gwangju’s craft industry can be seen, and urban regeneration projects promoted since the mid to late 2010s.

The separate volume mainly consists of analytical data to solve Yangnim-dong’s current issues such as parking difficulties and worsening air pollution due to increased vehicles, including analysis of vehicle registrations within Yangnim-dong and data on land use and building utilization.

Im Hyun-sook, Chairperson of the Residents' Autonomy Committee, said, “The 15 village community organizations in Yangnim-dong are constantly thinking about restoring the spirit of the village community and the development of the village,” adding, “Residents themselves decide the future development direction and solve village problems, making Yangnim-dong a livable place.”

Meanwhile, Yangnim-dong residents have established a village management social cooperative to provide jobs for local residents and revitalize the alleyway commercial district, promoting projects such as operating a village bookstore and manufacturing and selling pecan walnut bread.

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