Full-Scale Promotion of Incheon Sorae Wetland National Urban Park... Steering Committee to Launch Next Month

Incheon City has officially begun efforts to designate 6.65 million square meters of the Sorae Wetlands area as the 'Sorae Salt Field National Urban Park.' This area is approximately 2.3 times the size of Yeouido (2.9㎢), and if the designation is confirmed, it will become the first national urban park in South Korea.

A national urban park is a park designated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to protect urban natural landscapes and to improve citizens' health, recreation, and emotional well-being. It can be designated when necessary for national commemorative projects, preservation of natural landscapes, and historical and cultural heritage, with a requirement that the urban park site area be at least 3 million square meters.

The city announced on the 21st that to foster understanding of the national urban park and build public consensus, it will form a promotion committee next month and operate various programs such as a nationwide national urban park forum involving experts and a citizen idea contest.

First, to preserve the sustainable value of the Sorae Wetlands Ecological Park, the city will hold a salt-tolerant plant planting event and plogging activities with citizens. Following this, a nationwide national urban park forum involving civic groups and experts will be held, and diverse participation programs such as an idea contest for utilizing buildings within the park and expanding corporate and citizen participation will be prepared to strengthen the citizen support base for the designation of the national urban park.

Conceptual Map of Sorae Wetland National Urban Park [Provided by Incheon City]

The city plans to develop the Sorae Salt Field National Urban Park into a symbolic space where nature, culture, and art converge, making it a world-renowned attraction. The project site is the only place in the metropolitan area where natural coastline can be seen. It includes habitats of various organisms such as salt-tolerant plant communities and serves as a central space in the green network connecting the southern metropolitan area’s Hannam Mountain Range. It also encompasses the Sorae Wetlands Ecological Park, which historically accounted for 60% of South Korea’s solar salt production.

Previously, in November 2021, Incheon City began a strategic planning project to promote the designation of the national urban park. The area will be divided into five park platforms (Salt Field District, Gaetgol Park District, Sorae Wetlands District, Ramsar Tidal Flat District, and Siheung Gaetgol District), and a basic plan focusing on establishing connectivity between districts will be developed, scheduled for completion in the second half of this year.

Choi Go-su, Director of Urban Balance at Incheon City, said, "The Sorae Wetlands area has high ecological conservation value and significant historical and cultural utilization value. We will prepare to ensure that the designation of the national urban park not only utilizes and preserves the area's value but also enhances its interrelationship with surrounding areas, allowing it to be reborn as a national-level urban park."

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