South Gyeongsang Province is launching a "Modern Museum Village Tourism Landscape Project" to revive modern architectural landmarks remaining in the old downtown of Jinhae District in Changwon, including the "Old Jinhae Post Office" and "Jinhae Heukbaek Café," as a complex cultural space. Of the total project cost of 5 billion won, 2 billion won will be invested this year.
The project is the first phase of the Southern Region Wide-Area Tourism Development Project, jointly pursued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, South Gyeongsang Province, and Changwon City. It focuses on revitalizing the stagnant commercial district in Jinhae's old downtown.
The initiative aims to preserve and utilize the aging modern buildings remaining along Jinhae District's Modern Cultural History Road, transforming them into distinctive tourism resources. The "Jinhae Heukbaek Café," once a gathering place for local artists, will be reborn as a complex cultural space recreating the old appearance of a classical music café.
The "Naval Port Village History Museum" will be developed into a modern village experience center combining historical archive exhibitions with storytelling. In particular, the "Old Jinhae Post Office," a national cultural heritage site, will be restored to its appearance during its operating days and used as a modern history museum themed around letters, as well as a venue for various cultural experiences.
The province plans to discover fresh ideas through contests targeting local residents and artists, and will also pursue promotional projects such as private-led travel products and customized tourism content development.
"We will do our best to develop programs that can coexist with the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, the region's premier local festival," said Kim Sang-won, Director General of the Tourism Development Bureau of South Gyeongsang Province.
The province is pursuing the Southern Region Wide-Area Tourism Development Project together with Busan, Ulsan, Gwangju, and South Jeolla Province. This year, it plans to accelerate the project by investing a record 117.7 billion won, including 58.9 billion won in state funding.
