323 billion won invested since 2020, 218 projects underway

129 devolved projects completed; 89 ongoing

Gimhae Queen Heo Park among new overnight tourism destinations

Geoje Heungnam Evacuation Memorial Park (left) and Gimhae Queen Heo Memorial Park [South Gyeongsang Province]
Geoje Heungnam Evacuation Memorial Park (left) and Gimhae Queen Heo Memorial Park [South Gyeongsang Province]

South Gyeongsang Province's tourism resource development initiative — launched after the central government devolved such programs to local authorities in 2020 — is steadily bearing fruit. The province has invested a total of 323 billion won ($236 million) across 218 projects, of which 129 have been completed; 31 alone are being finished or are in their final stages this year.

The province said Thursday the program was transferred from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism under the government's fiscal decentralization policy, with funding split among converted project funds covering 50 percent, provincial contributions at 15 percent, and municipal contributions at 35 percent. Of the 89 remaining projects, 58 — excluding the 31 wrapping up this year — are being carried out as multi-year continuing projects and are set to be completed in sequence following annual reviews for new project selection and budget allocation.

Among the sites completing construction this year, the Geoje Heungnam Evacuation Memorial Park, built at a cost of 15 billion won, held its opening ceremony in late June and has since begun charging admission. The Miryang Eolgumgol Mystery Theme Hall, which cost 14.5 billion won, officially opened in August and is now welcoming autumn visitors.

Several more facilities are set to open as the autumn season gets underway. The Gimhae Queen Heo Memorial Park, built at a cost of 20.3 billion won, has completed its Indian-style garden and exhibition facilities and is scheduled for completion in October. Gimhae city plans to finalize its exhibition content through consultations between its tourism division, which oversees facility management, and its culture division, which handles India-related exchange exhibits, before holding an official opening. The park's outdoor garden is already open and drawing visitors.

The Gimhae Bonghwang-dong Hanok Experience Center has reopened as a multipurpose cultural space after a renovation costing 1.8 billion won that expanded it to 900 square meters. Its hanok-stay accommodation has already opened, with landscaping and ancillary construction set to be completed in October. The facility will operate as an overnight tourism destination encompassing Gaya history and Gimhae culture.

The education and experience center at Hamyang Namgye Seowon — a UNESCO World Heritage site — built at a cost of 5.9 billion won, has finished its main construction and is on track for an October completion following parking lot and landscaping work. Staff at the seowon are currently designing humanities programs tailored to different visitor groups; the center will be operated in conjunction with overnight stays and traditional food experiences at the nearby Ilodang hanok facility.

The province said it aims to shift away from fleeting day-trip tourism toward an overnight model that combines accommodation with evening activities, using these new facilities as anchors. It particularly plans to expand tourism products linking multiple cities and counties, and to leverage recently selected Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism grant projects — including a samgyeopsal-themed culinary tourism program in Geoje — to draw tourists from nearby major cities such as Busan and from abroad.

"We will continue to build distinctive overnight tourism destinations that can only be experienced by staying in South Gyeongsang Province, by weaving stories into the region's unique assets — its mountains, sea and history," said Kim Sang-won, the province's director general of tourism development.


ook967@heraldcorp.com