Incheon City has officially unveiled plans to develop a forest recreation park in the Danam-dong and Moksang-dong areas on the northern slope of Gyeyang Mountain, as part of its broader initiative to transform the mountain into a public park. However, the project faces two significant hurdles: lifting greenbelt restrictions and acquiring privately owned land. City officials have suggested that private investment could be an option if financial constraints arise.
At the third plenary session of the Incheon City Council’s interim meeting on the 10th, Yu Gwang-jo, Director of the Urban Balance Bureau, explained, “We’ve been in talks with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport since last year regarding the management plan for the development-restricted area to establish the Gyeyang Mountain forest recreation park.” He added, “The proposed park in Danam-dong and Moksang-dong covers approximately 310,000 square meters, requiring substantial funding.”
It’s worth noting that 96% of the northern slope earmarked for the forest recreation park is privately owned. The park’s development is primarily centered around the Moksang-dong San 41 area, which borders the Gyeongin Ara Waterway. This land is currently owned by members of the Lotte Group’s founding family, who had previously attempted to construct a golf course on the site.
The forest recreation park will occupy 310,000 square meters of the total 4.4 million square meters planned for the Gyeyang Mountain Grand Park. The estimated cost for acquiring the private land stands at 37.9 billion KRW (approximately 28.4 million USD). During the council session, Councilman Kim Jong-deuk (Democratic Party, Gyeyang District 2) pointed out, “It’s been years since citizens successfully blocked the golf course construction. With the basic plan for Gyeyang Mountain Grand Park already delayed by nearly a year, we must ensure that compensation procedures don’t cause further setbacks.”
City officials, emphasizing their commitment to minimizing financial burdens, stated, “If financial constraints cause delays, we may need to consider private investment for certain facilities.” This stance leaves the door open for potential private sector involvement. The northern slope of Gyeyang Mountain gained significance in 2018 when the Supreme Court dismissed an administrative lawsuit, effectively ending the Lotte golf course controversy. A city representative clarified, “While we haven’t finalized any plans regarding private investment, we’re exploring various funding options given the costs associated with land acquisition and facility development.”
/Lee Soon-min, Reporter smlee@incheonilbo.com
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