CHEONGJU — A local garden project being pursued by Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province is set to move into full swing.
The city said on the 21st that the 29.5 billion won Cheongju Local Garden Project had passed a central investment review by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
Local fiscal investment reviews assess the feasibility and fiscal soundness of projects involving large public spending before they proceed. Clearing the review lays the groundwork for the "National Garden Where Life Flows" project, a campaign pledge of the current mayor's administration.
The project will create a 10-hectare garden on a site adjoining Munam Ecological Park by 2030, with total spending of 29.5 billion won.
The grounds will include six themed gardens as well as a garden center offering cultural, educational and hands-on programs, along with a parking lot.
With the review cleared, the city plans to press ahead with follow-up steps including land acquisition, basic and detailed design work, and consultations with relevant agencies.
The garden will sit at the confluence of the Miho River and the Musim River, where the city center meets the "Cheongju 300,000 Northwest Belt" linking the Ochang, Oksan and Osong districts. The city intends to develop it as a mixed-use space combining ecology, culture, tourism and leisure.
In particular, the city plans to tie the garden to Munam Ecological Park — a former household waste landfill that has been turned into a public resting area — to highlight its symbolic value as an environmental restoration site and to make it a signature destination in Cheongju where visitors can enjoy both nature and garden culture.
The city will also link the Miho River's ecological and waterfront resources with nearby parks and green spaces to strengthen the site's role as a hub for garden culture, and will expand leisure and rest areas where residents can experience nature in daily life.
Over the longer term, the city envisions extending the garden grounds to Munam Ecological Park and the area around the Jeongbuk-dong Earthen Fortification, with the aim of developing it into a national garden.
"We will expand the garden's scale and functions in connection with Munam Ecological Park, which residents have come to love, and foster it as a garden culture hub representing the central region," a city official said.