Yangju City, Gyeonggi Province, and LH Strategically Collaborate to Attract 'Gwacheon Racecourse' from Compensated Gwangseok District
Gwangseok District Presented as Optimal Site for Relocation of Gwacheon Racecourse Park… Request for Active Cooperation and Joint Response from LH
[Break News Yangju=Kim Wan-young] Yangju City, Gyeonggi Province, is actively pursuing the relocation of Gwacheon Racecourse (Let's Run Park Seoul) to the Gwacheon District, a development project that has stalled for over 20 years since its designation in 2004.
On the 3rd, the city visited the Yangju Business Headquarters of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) and requested cooperation to consider the Yangju Gwangseok District as an alternative site for the Gwacheon Racecourse relocation, which is included in the government's "January 29 Housing Supply Measures."
This visit is in response to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's announcement of the Gwacheon Racecourse relocation and the Gyeonggi Provincial Government's request for the relocation of returned US military land in northeastern Gyeonggi Province.
The city emphasized that the Gwangseok District is similar in size to the current Gwacheon Racecourse site (approximately 350,000 pyeong) and that LH has completed land compensation, allowing for immediate project implementation.
The Gwangseok District was initially promoted as a residential land development project, but its exclusion from the new housing supply plan led to long-term delays due to reduced profitability.
Consequently, the city plans to shift its development strategy away from residential development and toward large-scale self-sufficient functions, such as a racecourse park, thereby establishing a breakthrough for the project's normalization.
According to the city, the relocation of Let's Run Park Seoul is estimated to generate approximately 50 billion won in local tax revenue annually. The city also anticipates a ripple effect on local businesses, including restaurants and lodging, due to the influx of approximately 3,000 permanent residents and increased annual visitors.
Transportation convenience is also cited as a key advantage. Gwangseok District is located approximately 50km from Gangnam Station and 30km from Jonggak Station in Seoul. Access to downtown Seoul is expected to improve with the ongoing expansion of the metropolitan transportation network, including the Second Ring Expressway, National Route 39, and the Seoul-Yangju Expressway.
A Yangju City official emphasized, "Gwangseok District has been experiencing development delays for over 20 years, and calls for its normalization have persisted. Hosting Let's Run Park on the prepared land owned by LH will serve as a model for a win-win situation, enabling both swift implementation of national policies and balanced development of the western region for the city."
A Yangju City resident commented, "It seems like a good strategy. With the Line 3 extension project also being proposed, if 'Gwacheon Racecourse' is hosted, it will become 'Yangju Racecourse.' This should be considered not only in light of the ruling and opposition parties and the pros and cons of local elections, but also in light of civic action."
The city has already formed and is operating a task force led by the deputy mayor, and plans to continue consultations with relevant organizations.
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