Kim Dongyeon Pledges Active Support for Elevating Anyangcheon to National Garden Status

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon has pledged active support for the elevation of Anyangcheon to national garden status.

On the 16th, after touring the site designated for the creation of the Anyangcheon local garden at the Anyangcheon Ssanggaeul Culture Plaza in Bisan-dong, Dongan-gu, Anyang, Governor Kim reflected, "I lived in Anyang for over ten years when I was young," adding, "The Anyangcheon section feels like my hometown, as it is a place where I walked many times with my family."

He further stated, "We will work together to ensure this place is successfully created as a local garden and, furthermore, elevated to a national garden."

Anyangcheon, which flows through four cities-Gwangmyeong, Anyang, Gunpo, and Uiwang-before joining the Han River, was approved as a candidate site for a local garden by the Korea Forest Service in April 2023. A local garden is a garden established by a local government under the Act on the Creation and Promotion of Arboretums and Gardens. Currently, the only local garden in Gyeonggi Province is Semiwon in Yangpyeong.

The Anyangcheon local garden will cover an area of 351,741 square meters and stretch 25.9 kilometers, to be jointly developed by Gwangmyeong, Anyang, Gunpo, and Uiwang.

The main development plans for the Anyangcheon section in each of the four cities are as follows: Gwangmyeong (7.3 km) will feature a family garden and a therapy garden; Anyang (11.9 km) will have an interactive garden and a fragrant garden; Gunpo (3.6 km) will create a community garden; and Uiwang (3.1 km) will develop a wind garden.

Each region plans to transform this area into a "public garden" that goes beyond the function of a stream, creating a vibrant and beautiful space throughout the year. The basic and detailed design for the Anyangcheon local garden began in March last year, and it is currently undergoing a disaster impact assessment review.

Gyeonggi Province plans to promptly complete the approval process as soon as the application for the development plan is submitted.

On the 16th, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon, who visited Anyangcheon, is receiving an explanation about the Anyangcheon development plan from an Anyang city official. Photo by Gyeonggi Province

Next year, each local government will begin construction of their respective gardens, register the site as a local garden, and after three years of operation, apply for national garden status around 2030.

If designated as a national garden, government funding will be provided for garden management.

After visiting Anyangcheon, Governor Kim also plans to visit Anyang Arts High School to communicate with students, including Baek Eunbyeol, a bestselling teenage author currently studying in the Department of Creative Writing.

Born in 2009, Baek Eunbyeol gained attention by publishing her first full-length novel, "Sihanbu," at the age of 14, and has released several works, including the youth poetry collection "Growing Pains." In July, she became the youngest member of the Honor Society, a group of donors who have contributed over 100 million won, and continues her philanthropic activities. Governor Kim will present Baek with a commendation and discuss career paths and creative environments with current students.

Later in the afternoon, Governor Kim is also scheduled to visit the Hansalim Bisan Cooperative Store, where he will tour the store and listen to feedback from the field regarding the use of local cooperative currency.