Honam University's anchor project unit, led by director Jeong Je-pyeong, held an opening ceremony Wednesday for Wolgok Hamkke Maru, a community cultural hub in Wolgok-dong, Gwangju, marking the start of full operations at the space built with local residents.
Honam University President Park Sang-cheol, Gwangsan-gu Mayor Park Byeong-gyu, Gwangsan-gu Council Speaker Gong Byeong-cheol, Korea Asset Management Corp. state property division head Kim Seok-hwan, and local residents and officials from related organizations attended the ceremony to celebrate the hub's launch.
Wolgok Hamkke Maru repurposes a long-disused police substation in Wolgok-dong into a cultural, educational and community exchange space open to all residents. Honam University and Gwangsan-gu developed the plan through a public-private-academic living lab project. Current Honam University students took part directly in designing the exterior, painting murals and shaping the environment to reflect the character of the neighborhood.
"Wolgok Hamkke Maru is a meaningful space where a long-neglected police substation has been reborn as a place for culture and communication for residents," President Park said. "We will do our utmost to help it grow into a vibrant cultural hub that represents the community, through diverse education programs, cultural activities and resident participation projects."
sij@heraldcorp.com
