Special Feature Yangpyeong-eup in Yangpyeong County Transforms into Tourism Hub Connecting Namhan River and Yongmun Mountain

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Eom In-yong] Yangpyeong-eup, the largest living area in Yangpyeong County, is being transformed into a 'tourism hub' connecting the Namhan River and Yongmun Mountain. The plan is to reorganize existing residential areas adjacent to the Namhan River into water-friendly spaces and expand tourism content in the original downtown, thereby improving residential conditions and welcoming the 40,000-population era in Yangpyeong-eup.

Yangpyeong County is promoting the 'Yangpyeong-eup Tourism Resourceization Project' to transform Yangpyeong-eup into a residential-type tourism resource. As of end of March 2025, the population of Yangpyeong-eup stood at 37,782, approaching the 40,000 mark. The county plans to create a 'Yanggang Culture Belt' through urban regeneration including △construction of a Y-shaped suspension bridge at Mul-Ankhae Park △the Green Yangpyeong Downtown project on 127 Terrace △nighttime landscape lighting project for the Namhan River △Yanggeun Stream Cheonggyecheon transformation project, thereby revitalizing the local economy.

First, the 'Y-shaped suspension bridge,' which will serve as a landmark for water-friendly spaces in Yangpyeong-eup, connects Yanggang Island, Tteodeureung Island, and Mul-Ankhae Park with a suspension bridge over the river and creates walking trails on Tteodeureung Island, which was previously inaccessible. The project was selected as a Gyeonggi Province regional balanced development project, securing 6.8 billion won in provincial funding, thereby alleviating the financial burden of project implementation early on.

Following the launch of the eighth popular election term, the county promoted the concept of Namhan River water-friendly spaces. In July last year, it sent a county delegation to Geochang County, South Gyeongsang Province, to observe the Y-shaped suspension bridge at the Anti-Aging Healing Land, and has been holding continuous consultations with related organizations including the Han River Basin Environmental Office. In January of this year, the county completed the river use permit, with the bridge expected to be completed by early next year. Upon completion, the bridge is expected to serve as a central hub for viewing the natural scenery of the Han River and exploring three islands.

During the construction of the Yanggang Island improvement project in March, a burial heritage presumed to be a dolmen (stone burial mound) was discovered. The results of the burial heritage excavation survey confirmed it as a Baekje-era dolmen. With an elliptical shape and estimated dimensions of 149m in length (including the fill layer), 62m in remaining width, and 5m in height, it is estimated to be the largest dolmen currently confirmed in the Han River and Imjin River basins. Precision excavation surveys are planned to determine the exact scale, era, nature, and academic value. Through cultural heritage designation, Yangpyeong County plans to establish a history, culture, and tourism belt connecting the Yanggang Island suspension bridge, the Municipal Art Museum adjacent to the Baekje-era dolmen, and the Yangpyeong Library.

The county will also fully launch the '127 Terrace Green Draw Yangpyeong Downtown' Gyeonggi De-Dream urban regeneration project from next year through 2028.

The project involves rehabilitating an area of approximately 174,879 square meters in Yanggeun 1-ri, 2-ri, and 7-ri of Yangpyeong-eup to improve residential conditions and create a destination. A total budget of 7.3 billion won (3.65 billion won in provincial funding and 3.65 billion won in county funding) will be invested over four years, creating features such as a Yanggeun riverside wooden deck, community-type squares, and a local culture attractiveness LAB in the area.

The county had continuously requested the Gyeonggi Province to address its exclusion from urban infrastructure development projects due to various regulations. The project was selected in the June public recruitment, and upon completion, it is expected to become a community market and comprehensive cultural space centered on villages in the downtown area. The project is expected to create approximately 100 jobs and generate production-inducing and value-added effects of 3 billion won.

The county is also promoting the Yanggeun Stream, which flows around the project areas, as a 'street worth walking' and plans to comprehensively construct expanded pedestrian bridges, wooden bridges, rest areas and parks, new and improved weirs, rapids, stepping stones, and lighting on a 4km section of the Yanggeun Stream (watershed area 9.17 square kilometers) by the end of 2027.

Construction is scheduled to begin around September this year, with total project costs of 12.5 billion won (85% provincial funding and 15% county funding). The county plans to create distinctive riverside areas and secure spaces where rest and walks comparable to Cheonggyecheon are possible.

Such projects envision a city where night tourism is also possible by wrapping the Yanggang Island to Galsan section with lights, and the county is proceeding with the 'Namhan River Walking Path Night Landscape Creation Project.'

The county is sequentially installing lighting, building exterior lighting effects, and landscape lighthouses in landscape project sections such as Mul-Ankhae Park and Galsan Park, and through the project plans to increase tourist stays, revitalize the local economy, and provide residents with safe walking routes and convenience.

County Governor Jeon Jin-seon said, "The Yangpyeong-eup urban regeneration project is being carried out with a grand vision to create an attractive Yangpyeong. By connecting nearby Yanggang Island, Yanggeun Stream, and major walking trails in Galsan Park, we will improve the utilization of the entire Yangpyeong-eup urban space and bring new cultural appeal to the riverside, creating tangible changes that residents can experience." He added, "We will create spaces that harmonize well with the natural scenery of the Han River, improve residential conditions, and make Yangpyeong a place that visitors frequently choose."