Revised development plan passes Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy review
Site to include hotels, resorts, residential, commercial and foreign education facilities
Project stretches from Saraeginnbat to Nobong coastal railway
Ground-breaking set for 2028, 15 years after designation
The Gangwon Free Economic Zone Authority announced that a revised development plan for Mangsan District 1 of the Gangwon Free Economic Zone has passed review by the Free Economic Zone Committee under South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
According to the authority, Mangsan District 1 was designated a free economic zone in 2013 but has faced prolonged development delays. Following the appointment of a new project operator in July 2024, authorities began pursuing a revised development plan.
The revised plan calls for investing 767.2 billion won ($572 million) through 2035 to build hotels, resorts, residential complexes, commercial facilities and foreign educational institutions across a 3.78 million-square-meter site in Mangsan-dong, Donghae.
The project envisions a self-sustaining mixed-use city integrating residential, educational and tourism functions, linking international education with upscale accommodation and leisure facilities to attract domestic and foreign investment.
Key revisions include adjustments to reflect project conditions and demand — with a greater emphasis on international education and tourism — as well as an extension of the overall project timeline.
The site runs from the eastern edge of Saraeginnbat — a field immortalized in the classical sijo poem "Dongchangi Balgatneunya" by Joseon scholar Nam Gu-man of Yakcheon, north of Samunje Pass in Donghae — to the Nobong coastal railway line at the southern end of Mangsan Beach.
The free economic zone authority plans to complete the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's approval and public notice process this year, then advance related administrative procedures — including disaster, environmental and traffic impact assessments — in the first half of next year, with final implementation plan approval targeted by July. Construction is set to begin in the first half of 2028.
Residents of Donghae are speaking with one voice, urging authorities not to drag their feet again. "If you said you would do it, you must follow through — and oversight must be thorough so nothing goes wrong," they said.
Over the past 13 years, residents had held high hopes for the project, but repeated setbacks and allegations of irregularities left many feeling disappointed and frustrated.
Some have warned that if the developer and oversight authorities again produce unexplained outcomes or questionable conduct, investigators may have to step in. Even so, residents say their underlying wish remains unchanged: they want to see Donghae thrive now that the plan has cleared review.
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