Pyeongtaek Western District to be Developed as Central City with 210,000 Population by 2030

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Pyeongtaek's western district will be developed into a central city with a population of 210,000 by 2030 with 2.3 trillion won invested in various infrastructure projects.

On the 15th, Pyeongtaek City held a New Frontier Declaration Ceremony and Briefing at the Pyeongtaek Port Promotion Center with Mayor Jung Jang-seon, national, provincial and municipal council members, and local residents in attendance, outlining a vision to develop the western district into a new central city for the Republic of Korea.

Mayor Jung Jang-seon presented major policy explanations for the development of Pyeongtaek's western district, which has been relatively marginalized in the past, and presented a mid- and long-term vision to establish the foundation for growth into a 210,000-person city by 2030, positioning it as a new center of Pyeongtaek City.

The detailed strategies include ▲Enhancing the status of Pyeongtaek Port as a gateway for international exchange and trade ▲Fostering cutting-edge new industries for future growth ▲Creating a smart green city based on carbon neutrality ▲Developing a global tourism hub ▲Building a harmonious city prepared for the next 100 years ▲Expanding citizen happiness infrastructure to improve quality of life, which will be pursued as priority initiatives.

The city plans to develop Pyeongtaek Port as a world-class international port together with the government and Gyeonggi Province. By 2030, 2.3 trillion won will be invested to expand transportation infrastructure, construct port hinterland zones, open a new international passenger terminal, and establish the Poseung-Pyeongtaek railway, aiming to develop it into a competitive port ranking third in the nation.

Additionally, the city will construct a hydrogen transportation complex and promote hydrogen convergence zones to develop the western district into a hydrogen hub city. It plans to develop a multi-functional automobile cluster featuring eco-friendly vehicle research, development, and customization along with culture, tourism, and shopping, and will foster the western district as a hub for future cutting-edge new industries through the activation of the Gyeonggi Economic Zone Poseung BIX and Hyunduk District and industrial structure advancement.

The city will also continuously pursue fine dust mitigation measures including the creation of parks and fine dust blocking forests in the Pyeongtaek Port hinterland area. An eco-friendly bicycle path will be constructed from Pyeongtaek Lake to the Han River, and fishing prohibition zones will be designated in the Jinui and Anseong streams to improve water quality.

The city also plans to develop the western district as a global tourism hub. Along with the existing Pyeongtaek Lake tourism zone, agricultural ecological garden, and Oseong Nuri Plaza, it will significantly expand eco-friendly tourism infrastructure through the promotion of marine ecological parks, green hydrogen zones, and waterfront recreational spaces. A smart farm theme park will be created in the Wonjung-ri area to develop distinctive rural tourism destinations.

The city will also drive balanced urban development across the western district. It will expand residential environment improvement projects in the central city areas of the western district, develop the Hwahyang and Manho districts, and create a smart city centered on Anjung Station. Efforts will be made to increase farm income through urban agriculture activation and expanding supplies to the U.S. Forces Korea.

In addition to transportation infrastructure expansion, the city is making priority investments in citizen living infrastructure in the western district including ▲Western District Disabled Welfare Center ▲Western Welfare Town ▲Western District Youth Culture Center ▲Anjung Sports Park ▲Cheongbuk District Sports Town ▲Western District Culture and Arts Center ▲New Anjung Branch Office construction. With the establishment of a comprehensive hospital in the Hwahyang district and the expansion and relocation of the Anjung Health Clinic, the quality of life for residents in the western district is expected to significantly improve.

Mayor Jung Jang-seon expressed his determination, stating, "I will dedicate all efforts of Pyeongtaek City to strategically develop the western district amid various changing circumstances and make it a true center of the Republic of Korea."