Shin Gye-yong, the mayor of Gwacheon in Gyeonggi Province, is advancing plans to enhance educational and cultural infrastructure through the construction of a library in the Gwacheon Knowledge Information Town.
The project is expected to gain momentum following conditional approval from the Ministry of Interior and Safety during the local investment review.
Mayor Shin plans to fulfill the conditions of the approval, finalize the detailed design, and proceed with administrative procedures to begin construction in July 2027.
This initiative aims to respond to the ongoing population influx in the Knowledge Information Town and provide residents with high-quality reading, education, and cultural services.
Shin envisions creating a cultural complex that can be utilized by all generations, from children to adults, thereby expanding the region's cultural and educational foundation.
Since receiving conditional approval from the Ministry of Interior and Safety in August 2023, he has been working on the basic and detailed designs. The project underwent a feasibility reassessment and a central investment review due to rising costs.
Throughout this process, Mayor Shin emphasized the need for the project by highlighting the population growth in the Knowledge Information Town, the demand for library services, and the necessity for expanded cultural facilities.
He has maintained ongoing discussions with relevant agencies and continued the detailed design during the review process to ensure project continuity, with the detailed design now nearing completion.
The library will be built on a site in Galhyeon-dong, Gwacheon, with a total investment of 570 billion won, covering approximately 7,556 square meters across four floors, including one underground level.
Key facilities will include a children's reading room, a general reading room, an English experience area for children, a future-oriented experience space utilizing digital technology, a cultural and arts space for youth, and media-related facilities.
Mayor Shin's plan incorporates traditional library functions of reading and information access with digital experiences and cultural activities to reflect the diverse needs of citizens.
In particular, the creation of future-oriented experience facilities and youth cultural spaces aims to broaden educational opportunities for children and adolescents while establishing a foundation for cultural activities for young people, ensuring that the facility serves as a community-centered cultural space accessible to all residents.
Mayor Shin stated, “The approval from the central investment review reflects the necessity of building the library in the Knowledge Information Town, achieved through continuous discussions with relevant agencies.”
He added, “We will actively pursue the remaining procedures to ensure the library, which citizens have been waiting for, is constructed without delays, creating a future-oriented cultural complex that can be utilized by all generations.”
Moving forward, Mayor Shin plans to diligently fulfill the conditions of the central investment review approval and systematically advance the subsequent administrative procedures to proceed with the project as planned.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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