Gangnam District Opens 21 School Playgrounds and Gyms to the Community

Encouraging Participation Through On-site Visits and Tailored Support
Seven More School Playgrounds Opened This Year

Gangnam District in Seoul (District Mayor Jo Sungmyung) is expanding its 'Gangnam Open School' initiative to 21 schools, allowing community access to school playgrounds and gyms on weekends and weekday evenings. Notably, this year, in addition to playgrounds, gyms are being newly opened so that residents can use a wider variety of sports facilities.

Jo Sungmyung, Gangnam District Mayor, exercising with residents at the open school playground (Singu Elementary School). Provided by Gangnam District Office.

'Gangnam Open School' is a flagship project of the 8th popularly elected administration, aiming to utilize easily accessible school playgrounds as sports infrastructure in areas where it is difficult to establish new sports facilities for residents due to limited land.

This year, instead of the previous application-based selection of participating schools, the district office’s relevant departments directly visited schools in areas identified as needing open facilities, offered tailored on-site support, and engaged in practical consultations with school members. This proactive approach led to more schools joining the program.

As a result, seven additional schools in areas with a high proportion of elderly residents or a lack of parks and other exercise spaces have newly opened their facilities. Furthermore, three schools have decided to open their gyms as well, significantly improving convenience and usability for residents.

To reduce the burden on schools, the district is providing educational expense subsidies and tailored support such as repairs and safety enhancements for aging facilities, personnel costs for dedicated staff, assistance with public utility fees, installation of closed-circuit (CC) TV, and night lighting, according to each school’s needs.

The 21 Gangnam Open Schools are: Singu Elementary, Sinsa Middle, and Hakdong Elementary in the Sinsa and Nonhyeon-dong area; Apgujeong Elementary, Apgujeong Middle, Apgujeong High, and Kyunggi High in the Apgujeong and Samseong area; Dandae Middle, Dandae High, Yeoksam Elementary, Doseong Elementary, and Yeoksam Middle in the Daechi and Yeoksam-dong area; Dogok Middle, Gaewon Elementary, Poi Elementary, Gaepo Middle, and Sudo Technical High in the Dogok and Gaepo-dong area; and Daemo Elementary, Jungsan High, Sejong High, and Daejin Design High in the Irwon and Suseo-dong area.

Among these, Dandae Middle, Dandae High, Gaepo Middle, and Sejong High have newly opened their gyms. Usage hours vary by school but are generally after school hours on weekdays and on weekends. Residents can check the available times and visit for walking, jogging, or light exercise.

District Mayor Jo Sungmyung stated, "Gangnam Open School has established itself as a leading model of public-academic cooperation, where schools and the local community grow together. Moving forward, we will continue to expand open schools in a way that respects school safety and the learning environment, while enhancing resident convenience, to create a healthy city where everyone can enjoy sports activities."

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