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A New Leap for Yeongdo: Toward a Hub of Marine Business and Tourism Busan Metropolitan City Holds Policy Briefing on the “Yeongdo 100-Year Revival Project”

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) held a policy briefing today (March 19) at 14:10 at Blueport 2021 in Yeongdo-gu for the “Yeongdo 100-Year Revival Project,” announcing a future development vision to develop the entire Yeongdo area into a tourism special zone combining new marine industries and tourism.

The policy briefing combined a site visit to project locations, including the former Busan Nam High School site, with a policy presentation, providing an opportunity to share Yeongdo’s development direction and key projects with citizens.

This project is a strategy to revitalize Yeongdo, which has experienced stagnation due to industrial restructuring and population decline, by fostering it into a global hub where new marine industries and tourism converge. The core is to designate the entire Yeongdo area as a tourism special zone while simultaneously expanding transportation, cultural, and industrial infrastructure.

First, on the former site of Busan Nam High School, a 20,000-seat “Yeongdo K-POP Arena” will be constructed, capable of hosting K-POP performances, e-sports events, and global conventions.

This project will be carried out as a private investment project worth approximately KRW 500 billion and is expected to serve as a key facility transforming Yeongdo into a stay-oriented tourism destination.

In addition, the “Gamji International Tourism Complex,” utilizing marine landscapes, will be developed in the Taejongdae and Gamji Beach areas.

A marine healing center will be built at Gamji Beach to introduce healing programs using seawater and sea breeze, along with facilities such as seawater and hot spring pools, a seaside library, and marine-specialized Deullak Nallak.

Furthermore, in the Taejongdae area, the “Taejongdae Garden,” consisting of five dome-shaped indoor gardens themed around the five human senses, will be created and is expected to become a new landmark of Yeongdo where nature, culture, and relaxation converge.

Transportation infrastructure will also be significantly improved. The eastern area will be connected to the city center via the Busan Port Line, while the western area will consider the introduction of a trackless tram, establishing a circular transportation network connecting the entire Yeongdo district.

In particular, the trackless tram, as a next-generation transportation mode utilizing existing road infrastructure while providing metro-level capacity and stability, is expected to help resolve transportation imbalances in western Yeongdo.

In addition, the “Yeongdo First Pedestrian Bridge” connecting Kangkangee Arts Village and Jagalchi Market will be constructed to strengthen pedestrian connectivity with the original downtown area and expand tourism routes.

At the same time, the city will also pursue strategies to foster Yeongdo as a hub for new marine industries and a future marine science base.

By linking Korea Maritime and Ocean University with institutions in the Dongsam Innovation District, such as the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) and the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), Yeongdo will be developed into a research and development hub in fields such as smart marine mobility, polar big data, and artificial intelligence-based predictive technologies.

Additionally, the city plans to build the “B-Shipbuilding and Defense MRO Cluster” centered on the eastern part of Yeongdo and actively attract companies in new marine industries through the advancement of the “Young Blue Belt.”

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “Yeongdo is the starting point of Korea’s modern industry and a symbolic space for Busan’s development,” adding, “Through the ‘Yeongdo 100-Year Revival Project,’ we will lead the era of 10 million foreign tourists and foster Yeongdo into a key hub that will drive Busan’s next 100 years, where new marine industries, business, and tourism converge.”