Media Wall and Pureungil Bridge... Baegun Square 'Back to the Citizens' Arms'

Gwangju Nam-gu, Giant LED Display 'Feast of Light'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Following the Street Food Zone, Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City is consecutively unveiling the results of its urban regeneration projects with the Media Wall, while the Baegun Plaza area, the gateway to Nam-gu, is developing into a central axis for people, culture, and revitalization of the old downtown economy, heralding a new era for Baegun Plaza.

Additionally, with the completion of the Blue Road Bridge connecting the previously disconnected Blue Road Park, which will culminate the urban regeneration project by the end of this year, the Baegun Plaza area is expected to transform into a landmark representing Gwangju and be embraced by its citizens.

According to Nam-gu on the 15th, the opening ceremony of the Baegun Plaza Media Wall was held at 6 p.m. that day in front of the Nam-gu Volunteer Center around Baegun Plaza.

As this project has attracted the attention of Gwangju citizens, all attendees including District Mayor Kim Byeong-nae, local National Assembly members, Gwangju city councilors, and Nam-gu councilors expressed great expectations for the new start of the Baegun Plaza era, overcoming the period of stagnation.

District Mayor Kim Byeong-nae said, “Today, we have launched the signal flare announcing the revival of Baegun Plaza and the beginning of the new Baegun Plaza era. My goal in promoting the New Deal project was to achieve economic revitalization through the restoration of Baegun Plaza’s heyday and commercial district recovery in the 1980s.”

He continued, “Baegun Plaza, the only commercial area in the district, will shed its stagnant image and spread its wings vigorously as the central axis of Nam-gu’s development. Once the Blue Road Bridge is completed, Baegun Plaza, which has been vehicle traffic-oriented, will transform into a complex space encompassing people, culture, and economy.”

The Baegun Plaza Media Wall will serve as a stage illuminated with light displays and a medium for restoring family love starting with the opening ceremony.

At every hour on the hour, the Baegun Tiger, which indicates the current time, appears 15 times daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. It also offers immersive content using anamorphic illusion art depicting the four seasons of the ginkgo tree in Chilseok-dong, as well as media art works featuring major local attractions such as Yangnim-dong and the Blue Road.

Additionally, through family video letters, it conveys heartfelt stories kept deep inside, serving as a channel to strengthen family bonds in the era of nuclear families.

Alongside this, Nam-gu is accelerating the construction of the Blue Road Bridge, the highlight and final destination of the Baegun Plaza New Deal project, to establish a pedestrian-friendly environment and transform it into an eco-friendly natural space connecting urban walking trails.

Starting in March, the production of the bridge piers, which will serve as the foundation for the Blue Road Bridge, will begin, and by around October, construction covering the upper part of the bridge is expected to progress.

The Blue Road Bridge will have a total length of 206 meters. Upon completion, it will allow access from Baegun Plaza to the currently disconnected Blue Road Park walking trails toward Jinwol-dong and Namgwangju Station.

Furthermore, once the construction of Subway Line 2 is completed, visitors will be able to freely access any direction, including the second floor of Nam-gu Office and the Blue Road Park walking trails, by taking the elevator from the underground Baegun Plaza Station.

The Blue Road Bridge will be a viewpoint where the Media Wall can be viewed at a glance and will be used as a space where people, culture, and nature meet, hosting various busking performances and flea markets.

Mayor Kim said, “By the end of this year, Baegun Plaza will be transformed into a bustling place filled with crowds and will be recorded as a rare successful case of revitalizing an old downtown area nationwide. With the new start of Baegun Plaza, the growth pace of Nam-gu will also gain unstoppable momentum.”

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