Seongnam City’s Barefoot Clay Roads Established as a “Healing Space in Daily Life”

Mayor Shin Sangjin: "We Will Develop Even More Pleasant Spaces"
11 Locations in Operation; Hope Grand Park Achieves Highest Satisfaction
86.5% of Respondents Say "We Will Continue to Use the Clay Roads"

The barefoot clay roads established as a pledge of the 8th popularly elected administration in Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Shin Sangjin), have become a "healing space in daily life" for citizens. Currently, a total of 11 locations are in operation, with a steady increase in users and high ratings in citizen satisfaction surveys.

Barefoot clay road at Hope Grand Park. Provided by Seongnam City

The city commissioned With Research, an academic research and survey institution, to conduct an on-site survey of 549 citizens who had used the barefoot clay roads between June 17 and 24, 2025. The results showed an overall citizen satisfaction score of 85.7 points, classified as "very excellent." This evaluation used the Public Customer Satisfaction Index (PCSI 2.0) model, converting responses to 10 questions across 5 categories into a score out of 100.

From February 2023 to July 2024, Seongnam City created clay roads at 11 locations, including Sujin Park. Approximately 6 billion KRW of city funds were invested in constructing the clay roads, foot-washing stations, and convenience facilities, with a total length reaching 5,215 meters.

Since opening, the number of users was approximately 158,000 in the second half of 2023, 228,000 in the first half of 2024, and 340,000 in the second half of 2024, totaling about 727,000 visitors by the end of 2024. The number of users continues to rise this year, establishing the clay roads as a popular destination for citizens.

Among the 11 locations, Hope Grand Park recorded the highest satisfaction score at 89.1 points, and 86.5% of the 549 respondents said they would continue to use the clay roads in the future. However, in terms of management, some respondents suggested the need to establish a sustainable management system, including improved maintenance and cleaning of the clay, as well as enhanced water supply and drainage management. The confidence level of this survey is 95%, with a sampling error of ±4.18%p.

Mayor Shin Sangjin of Seongnam City stated, "We created the barefoot clay roads so that citizens can take care of their health and find healing in their daily lives," and added, "We will continue to strengthen the management system by reflecting citizens' opinions and develop these spaces into even more pleasant environments."

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