Gwangju City Completes 'Child Well-Growth Center'...Establishes Complex Cultural Hub for Children and Families

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Um In-yong] Gwangju City held a completion ceremony on the 2nd for the 'Gwangju Child Well-Growth Center,' the largest complex children's cultural facility in Gyeonggi Province for children and families, and proceeded with expanding child-friendly infrastructure.

The completion ceremony was attended by approximately 300 people, including Mayor Bang Se-hwan, members of the National Assembly, provincial and city council members, heads of organizations and civic groups, and citizens.

The event proceeded with a commemorative ceremony, ribbon cutting, and facility tours, with emphasis placed on the symbolic nature of the space reflecting children's participation.

At the venue, artwork exhibitions featuring children from daycare centers, community children's centers, and shared childcare centers were displayed, and members of the children's participation committee also participated in the ribbon cutting and facility tours, adding meaning to their involvement in the facility development process.

The Child Well-Growth Center was developed with a total area of 15,455㎡ (2 basement levels, 4 above-ground floors).

The facility is a public facility built as part of the private park development special project at Central Park, with a private developer constructing the building and donating it to the city.

It will operate as a complex leisure space in connection with the nearby Central Park, available for use with rest areas, camping sites, and walking trails.

The city has established operational directions through citizen surveys, roundtable discussions, and analysis of cases from other local governments for facility development.

Based on this, the city has established an institutional foundation for promoting children's right to play and creating a family-friendly environment.

The city plans to systematically develop key facilities including experience spaces, small performance halls, program rooms, children's playgrounds, and book cafes within this year, and to operate programs and counseling services tailored to children's growth and development.

Mayor Bang Se-hwan said, "The Child Well-Growth Center will be a space of play and creative activities for children, and a space of rest and communication for parents," and added, "Through creating an environment where families can spend time together, we will strengthen the city's child-centered foundation."