Naju City Launches "Naju Station Area Development" as New Gateway to the Southwest Region

Promoting an Integrated City Combining Transportation, Accommodation, and Convention Facilities
Accelerating the Rise of a Multi-Functional Economic Hub in the Southwestern Region

Naju City is actively promoting the "Naju Station Area Development Project" to transform the area around KTX Naju Station into a leading transportation hub in the southwestern region. Photo shows the panoramic view of the area around Naju Station. Provided by Naju City

Naju City in South Jeolla Province is set to launch the "Naju Station Area Development Project," aiming to transform the area around KTX Naju Station into a multi-functional economic hub that integrates transportation, commerce, culture, accommodation, and convention facilities.

On November 11, Naju City announced plans to accelerate the Naju Station Area Development Project, with the goal of establishing the area as the leading transportation, tourism, and business hub of the southwestern region.

Through this project, the city intends to create a new axis of urban growth connecting the Gwangju-Jeonnam Joint Innovation City and the original downtown area, and to lay the foundation for evolving beyond a transportation-focused transfer zone into a future-oriented, integrated city.

The development site covers 66,000 square meters (approximately 20,000 pyeong) near Songwol-dong KTX Naju Station and will be pursued as a mixed development project with both public and private sector participation.

The core components will include five main zones: a transportation transfer zone, commercial zone, cultural zone, accommodation zone, and convention zone, creating a complex space where transportation, commerce, and culture coexist.

The transportation transfer zone will be established as a smart transfer hub integrating rail, intercity and city buses, taxis, and bicycles.

The commercial zone will feature a youth startup mall, local brand stores, and a caf? street to revitalize the local commercial district. The cultural zone will provide a multi-purpose cultural space for citizens, including a performance hall, exhibition center, and citizen lounge.

The accommodation zone will be equipped with business hotels and other facilities to support stay-type tourism, laying the groundwork for a "city where people stay." The convention zone will be developed as a complex business facility with spaces for international conferences, exhibitions, and events to enhance Naju's global competitiveness.

In particular, the city plans to establish eco-friendly smart transportation infrastructure, such as electric and hydrogen charging stations and shared mobility zones, to develop Naju as a sustainable, future-oriented transfer city.

This year, the city will conduct a "basic plan and feasibility study," followed by the establishment of basic and development plans in 2026. Through consultations with relevant agencies (including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and South Jeolla Province), the project will proceed to "central investment review and detailed design" in 2027, with phased construction to follow.

In the first phase, transportation, transfer, and parking facilities will be prioritized. In the second phase, commercial, cultural, accommodation, and convention facilities will be developed sequentially.

Yoon Byungtae, Mayor of Naju, stated, "The KTX Naju Station Area Development Project will become a core economic hub that leads Naju's future, going beyond a simple transfer point. Through this multi-functional space where transportation, commerce, and culture coexist, we will achieve balanced development between the innovation city and the original downtown, and do our utmost to help Naju emerge as the leading transportation and tourism city in the southwestern region."

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