A former livestock station site spanning 61,380 square meters in Bangok-dong, Wonju, Gangwon Province has sat idle for 30 years.
The land's official assessed value is around 20 billion won ($14.8 million), with the asking price and expected transaction value reaching as high as 50 billion won.
Yong Jeong-sun represents Wonju's second district in the Gangwon Provincial Assembly and serves as vice chair of the education committee. She previously served on the Wonju City Council before joining the provincial assembly in July. She recently drew attention at the assembly by proposing that the long-troubled site finally be put to proper use as a hub for culture, the arts, leisure and the youth economy.
According to the provincial assembly Sunday, Yong used a policy questioning session to urge Governor Woo Sang-ho to swiftly fulfill his campaign pledge to develop the site into a complex hub for cultural and creative industries.
"Every time a new local leader took office, plans were announced — housing development, a multipurpose performance hall, an opera house — but none produced any real results," Yong said. "What is needed now is not yet another blueprint, but an actionable project plan and accountable execution."
The land is owned by Gangwon Province, which contributed it as an in-kind investment when it established Gangwon Development Corp., then reclaimed it as provincial property in March 2022 — though the title transfer has yet to be completed.
Over the years, proposals ranging from a weekend farm and a drama series set to a convention center, an art museum and a large performance hall have all been reviewed. The province even commissioned a research study through an urban management institute to explore possible uses.
A project called "The Art Gangwon Complex" was pursued with a total budget of 200 billion won, but it collapsed after a 2025 feasibility study found a benefit-cost ratio of just 0.29, with annual operating costs estimated at around 4.2 billion won. A separate 3 billion won in national government funding that had previously been secured also went undelivered due to procedural failures, leaving the project adrift.
During Sunday's policy questioning session, Yong identified the unresolved ownership of the site — held by Gangwon Development Corp. — as the single biggest obstacle to moving forward. In 2018, Gangwon Province contributed the livestock station site, valued at around 37.3 billion won, as an in-kind investment to improve the corporation's debt ratio and increase its capital. Yong pressed the provincial government on why the site had not been returned even after the provincial assembly passed a resolution in March 2022 approving its return.
"The in-kind contribution of the former livestock station site was made to shore up Gangwon Development Corp.'s financial health, but since the administrative complex project has been scrapped, ownership should revert to Gangwon Province," Yong said. "Whether this is carried out first will serve as a litmus test of Governor Woo's commitment to the project."
Yong also said Governor Woo's campaign pledge to build a cultural and creative industry complex should go beyond the previous performance hall-centered development model, and instead be pursued as a regional growth hub integrating culture and the arts, creative industries, youth employment and public recreational space.
Yong called for advance preparations to secure inclusion in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's national plan for 2027 and to obtain central government funding. She also asked Governor Woo directly whether the groundbreaking target — currently set for the first half of 2030 — could be moved up by at least six months.
"Large-scale pledged projects can take years to clear administrative procedures and are sometimes halted by shifts in the political environment, so the pace of execution matters," Yong said. "Governor Woo should personally resolve the land ownership issue and coordinate with relevant agencies, and actively consider compressing the groundbreaking schedule."
Yong closed by saying the former livestock station site "is a place where the hopes and disappointments of Wonju residents have cycled for the past 30 years," adding that it "must not end as yet another study, yet another announcement, yet another campaign pledge."
"End 30 years of stagnation, and make sure Wonju residents do not have to wait any longer," Yong urged, calling on Governor Woo to personally oversee every step — from securing the site and arranging financing to obtaining national funding and breaking ground.
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