Kim Jae-gyeong (left), head of LH's management division; Kim I-gang (center), district chief of Seo-gu in the Jeonnam-Gwangju integrated special city; and Ma Hui-ja (right), chairwoman of Habitat for Humanity Korea, pose for a photo after signing an MOU at the Seo-gu district office in Gwangju on Tuesday. [LH]
Kim Jae-gyeong (left), head of LH's management division; Kim I-gang (center), district chief of Seo-gu in the Jeonnam-Gwangju integrated special city; and Ma Hui-ja (right), chairwoman of Habitat for Humanity Korea, pose for a photo after signing an MOU at the Seo-gu district office in Gwangju on Tuesday. [LH]

Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) announced Tuesday it has selected Seo-gu district in Gwangju as the third site under its "LH Segaegongam Naum+" social contribution program, which aims to counter regional population decline, and will remodel an idle facility there into a public indoor playground.

Segaegongam Naum+ is LH's flagship social contribution program that transforms underused facilities outside the Greater Seoul area into spaces dedicated to culture and child-rearing. The program previously launched projects in Yeonggwang-gun, South Jeolla Province, and Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, making this its third undertaking.

The project site, the Seo-gu Culture Center, is located in the district's most densely child-populated area, where residents have expressed strong demand for public play and childcare facilities. LH will partner with the local government and Habitat for Humanity Korea to convert idle space within the center into a child-focused indoor playground.

To that end, LH signed an MOU with the Gwangju Seo-gu district office and Habitat for Humanity Korea on Tuesday. Under the agreement, LH will oversee the project and provide 700 million won ($478,000) in fiscal support, while the Gwangju Seo-gu district office will supply the space, contribute 70 million won toward project costs and handle future operations. Habitat for Humanity Korea will handle construction and fit-out.

"Through the Segaegongam Naum program, we are breathing new life into idle local spaces and turning them into specialized facilities that all residents can enjoy," said Kim Jae-gyeong, head of LH's management division. "We will continue to carry out social contribution activities that bring fresh vitality to communities across the country."

Meanwhile, LH's Daejeon-South Chungcheong regional headquarters signed a separate MOU on Monday with the Daejeon Seo-gu district office and the Seo-gu Community Self-Sufficiency Center to establish a youth self-sufficiency work site aimed at fostering community solidarity organizations and creating jobs.


hwshin@heraldcorp.com