Suwon’s Yeongheung Forest Park, Equivalent to 70 Soccer Fields, Officially Opens on the 26th

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Yeongheung Forest Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, which is as large as 70 soccer fields, temporarily opened on the 1st of this month and will officially open on the 26th.

The city of Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, announced on the 21st that it will hold an opening ceremony at Yeongheung Forest Park at 5 p.m. on the 26th, attended by Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun and officials from related organizations. The ceremony will proceed in the order of the mayor’s commemorative tree planting, project progress report, congratulatory speeches, and celebratory performances. Singers Byeon Jin-seop, Hong Jin-young, Sung Jin-woo, Na So-won, and Seo Ji-o will perform at the celebration.

The city began the first phase of the 'Yeongheung Park Private Development Project' in 2014, completed the first phase on October 1st, and temporarily opened it to citizens. The city plans to complete the second phase of Yeongheung Forest Park, which includes park walking trails and plazas, and finish construction by April next year.

Yeongheung Forest Park covers an area equivalent to 70 soccer fields (501,937㎡) and features walking paths, a forest playground for children, and observation decks. Rest areas for citizens such as pavilions and pergolas, ground fountains, and ecological forest experience spaces have also been created. Additionally, sports facilities including a gymnasium, jokgu courts, and outdoor exercise equipment have been installed.

The arboretum (146,000㎡) was designed as a garden-style arboretum utilizing the existing mountainous terrain. Over 1,000 species of trees and flowers have been planted, allowing visitors to enjoy the changing forest scenery with the seasons. The arboretum facilities are scheduled to open next spring after a preparation period.

Designated as a neighborhood park facility in June 1969, Yeongheung Forest Park remained largely undeveloped for a long time, with over 90% of the park area left unconstructed due to financial burdens.

The city was the first in the country to introduce the 'Private Park Special Project' method, which develops parks using private capital in accordance with the 'Act on Urban Parks and Green Areas.'

A city official explained, "Although 30% of the total project area can be developed by the private sector for non-park purposes, to minimize forest damage and preserve the existing terrain, the private development area was reduced, and only about 14% of the total area was developed into apartment complexes."

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