Inje County to Begin Full-Scale Construction of the Safer, More Beautiful "Wontong Aurora Trail" in June

Inje County, Gangwon Province, will officially begin construction of the "Wontong Aurora Trail Project" in June to create a safe pedestrian environment for residents and introduce a new night-time landmark for the region. The project is scheduled for completion in October this year.

Aurora Welcome Path. Courtesy of Inje County

This initiative, promoted as part of the “2025 Border Area Settlement Environment Improvement Public Contest Project,” will be funded with a total project cost of 500 million won, with 250 million won each contributed by the provincial and county governments.

The project site is a green buffer zone in the area of 461-8, Wontong-ri, Buk-myeon, Inje County, covering a total stretch of 1.85 kilometers. The project will focus on improving the pedestrian environment and introducing unique nightscape features throughout this area.

The location, a green buffer zone adjacent to the main Seorak-ro Road, boasts abundant trees and has long been naturally utilized by local residents for travel and walking.

However, the absence of formal pedestrian infrastructure has caused significant inconvenience, and the lack of proper lighting at night has resulted in a dark and hazardous walking environment, drawing repeated concerns from the community.

Saebit Osolgil. Provided by Inje County

Additionally, the site is located near the planned location for Inje Station on the East-West High-Speed Railway, giving it strong potential to attract visitors from broader regions.

In response, the county plans to redevelop the naturally formed walking trails in the green buffer zone into safe, comfortable, and eco-friendly paths, and to enhance the area’s distinctiveness by installing diverse landscape lighting and improving nighttime illumination for a differentiated nightscape.

Specifically, the entire trail will be divided into eight themed sections tailored to each area’s unique characteristics, such as Welcoming the Aurora, Starlight Forest, and Silver Lawn, with various features including stick lighting, ground graphic projections, and specialized tree lighting arranged throughout.

This approach aims to minimize light interference along the roadside while creating a dreamy and beautiful night scene.

Hanbit Crossroads. Provided by Inje County

Shim Hanseop, head of the Urban Development Division, stated, "We will thoroughly prepare and carry out the construction so that this once-dark and inconvenient walking trail can become a safe healing space for residents and a new night-time attraction for visitors."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.