Busan is good

Mayor Park Heong-joon Declares, “Resolving Conflict and Returning It to the Citizens”: Opening of the Era of Busan’s Public Zoo

내용

Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will acquire the Choeup Children’s Grand Park Zoo, the only zoo in Busan, and transition it into a public zoo system.

This decision concludes six years of litigation and shifts the zoo’s private-centered operation to a system grounded in public responsibility, aiming to significantly enhance the level of animal welfare and fundamentally strengthen its public nature.

The City plans to sign a purchase agreement valued at approximately KRW 47.825 billion on April 15, 2026, and simultaneously assume operational authority to begin direct management and operation.

To this end, KRW 7.5 billion, including the down payment for the purchase contract and operational expenses, will be allocated in the first supplementary budget of 2026 to ensure there is no operational gap following the acquisition.

Accordingly, the zoo is expected to transition from an unstable private structure into a public asset under the City’s responsibility. The City will work closely with the Busan Metropolitan Council to secure the necessary financial resources smoothly.

In addition, the newly launched public zoo has established its vision as “A Zoo that Respects Life” and presented operational strategies including ▲reorganizing it into a forest zoo modeled on natural habitats ▲promoting designation as a regional hub zoo ▲establishing a structured animal exchange system.

First, building on the zoo’s greatest strength—the existing forest of Choeup Children’s Grand Park—the City will pursue a phased reorganization into a “forest zoo modeled on natural habitats” that preserves and utilizes the natural terrain and vegetation to the greatest extent possible.

After establishing a basic operational plan, improvements will begin with aging animal enclosures to enhance animal welfare and reflect behavioral characteristics, followed by the sequential reallocation of habitats in accordance with species-specific traits and group behaviors.

In addition, the City plans to operate ▲forest interpretation programs ▲eco-experiential educational content ▲animal welfare education programs for children, and, through pilot operations prior to its official reopening in 2027, develop the zoo into a space where people and animals can stay together in nature and experience rest and recovery.

Second, the City will pursue designation as a “regional hub zoo” in accordance with the Act on the Management of Zoos and Aquariums, fostering it as the key hub zoo for the Yeongnam region.

Regional hub zoos are designated to support zoos and aquariums within their respective regions and to strengthen species conservation and safety management. The nation is divided into four regions—Capital Area, Central Region, Honam Region, and Yeongnam Region. Designation as a regional hub zoo allows eligibility for national funding support. Currently, only Cheongju Zoo and Uchi Zoo in Gwangju have been designated.

Furthermore, the zoo will be developed as a central base for enhancing animal welfare by ▲managing diseases and quarantine for zoos within the region ▲accommodating animals requiring emergency protection ▲operating species conservation and breeding programs.

Third, to establish a responsible animal acquisition and exchange system, the City is preparing ▲a structured animal exchange system ▲the establishment of standardized operational manuals ▲the phased expansion of professional personnel.

Consultations are underway with Neungdong Zoo at Seoul Children’s Grand Park regarding animal exchanges, and the scale of exchanges will be determined after reviewing the current animal capacity and conditions of the zoo.

In addition, standardized operational manuals will be established, and professional personnel will be gradually expanded to build a stable and sustainable zoo management system.

The City also unveiled an “Implementation Plan for a Zoo Where Both People and Animals Are Happy.”

On February 9, the City launched a KRW 200 million service project titled “Establishment of a Master Plan for Zoo Normalization and Operation.” Through this project, it will define the mid- to long-term operational direction of the public zoo and establish a comprehensive plan, including designation as a regional hub zoo, with completion targeted for October this year.

Meanwhile, aiming for full reopening in 2027, the City plans to develop the public zoo into an educational space where citizens can learn the value of life and a forest setting where visitors can experience rest and recovery.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “The launch of the public zoo is not merely an administrative procedure to conclude litigation, but a historic turning point that resolves the inconvenience to citizens caused by six years of legal disputes and fully returns the zoo to the citizens for the sake of the next generation.”

He added, “By accepting the court’s mediation proposal, we have made a decisive choice to prevent social costs and administrative gaps while clarifying public responsibility.”

He further emphasized, “On April 15, upon signing the purchase agreement, we will immediately assume operational authority and begin direct management without a single day of interruption. We will end the unstable private operational structure and transition to a transparent and accountable public management system to restore citizens’ trust.”