Former Jinhae post office, Heukbaek tearoom and Naval Village History Hall among three anchor sites; total project budget of 5 billion won, use agreement reached with postal authorities

The former Jinhae post office [South Gyeongsang Province]
The former Jinhae post office [South Gyeongsang Province]

South Gyeongsang Province announced Monday it will push ahead with a project to turn the declining old downtown of Jinhae District in Changwon into a modern cultural tourism destination, aiming to revive the area's stagnant commercial district and boost its tourism appeal.

The initiative is part of a broader southern-region tourism development program jointly led by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, South Gyeongsang Province and Changwon. The project seeks to transform the old downtown of Jinhae District — which has lost vitality due to population decline and a shrinking commercial base — into a key tourism hub by leveraging its modern cultural heritage. The total project budget stands at 5 billion won (about $3.31 million), with 2 billion won allocated this year — comprising 1 billion won in national funds, 300 million won in provincial funds and 700 million won in city funds.

The project's three core anchor facilities, all located along the Modern Cultural History Road in Jinhae District, are the former Jinhae post office, the Jinhae Heukbaek tearoom and the Naval Village History Hall.

The former Jinhae post office is a nationally designated cultural heritage site. Changwon recently completed formal negotiations with Korea Post over the use of the building, resolving what had been the biggest obstacle to advancing the project. The city plans to restore the post office — which operated until 2000 — to its original appearance and turn it into a modern history museum, offering a range of cultural programs and hands-on events centered on the theme of letters.

The Jinhae Heukbaek tearoom, once a gathering place for local artists, will be reborn as a multipurpose cultural space evoking the atmosphere of a classic music café. The Naval Village History Hall will be redeveloped into a modern village experience center displaying historical photographs and archival records.

Beyond the physical renovations, local authorities plan to develop community-led travel products and tourism content with direct participation from residents and local artists, running tailored promotional programs to draw a steady stream of tourists year-round.

"Now that negotiations with Korea Post have wrapped up, we plan to complete the detailed engineering design — including specific construction methods — by August," a Changwon city official said. "We expect to break ground on full-scale construction as early as the second half of this year."

"This project will serve as a catalyst for addressing the decline of Jinhae's old downtown and revitalizing the local commercial district," said Kim Sang-won, director of the tourism development bureau at South Gyeongsang Province. "We will do our best to create synergy with the Jinhae Naval Port Festival, the region's signature event."


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