An aerial view of the West Busan Smart Valley, formerly known as the Sinpyeong-Janglim industrial complex, in Busan. The aging manufacturing district was selected, Friday, for a government-backed urban revitalization project aimed at integrating cultural, digital and youth-friendly spaces into the industrial zone. Korea Times file
The clatter of heavy machinery long defined the Sinpyeong-Janglim industrial complex, a sprawling gray expanse of manufacturing plants that powered the southeastern port city of Busan's postwar economic rise.
But under a sweeping new municipal initiative, the aging factory floors and soot-stained avenues are poised to give way to digital playgrounds, K-pop concert stages and open-air art markets.
City officials said Friday that the complex, newly rebranded as the West Busan Smart Valley, has been selected for a major urban revitalization grant jointly sponsored by three government ministries: the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Over the next four years, the government will pump 88.9 billion won ($65 million) into the site, transforming Korea's oldest industrial district into an experiential cultural hub aimed squarely at younger people.
