Hanam City Urges Reinstatement of KRW 2.8 Billion Budget for Misa Lake Park Musical Fountain

Hanam City Faces Full Budget Cut by Standing Committee
Requests Budget Reinstatement at Special Committee on the 16th
32.3% Increase in Commercial Revenue During Event
"Commercial Revitalization and Water Quality Improvement Expected"

Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province has requested the Special Budget and Accounts Committee to reinstate the KRW 2.8 billion budget for the replacement of the musical fountain at Misa Lake Park, which was entirely cut by the City Council Standing Committee.

Hanam City requested the Budget and Settlement Special Committee to reinstate the 2.8 billion KRW budget for the Misa Lake Park music fountain and water screen installation project, which was fully cut by the city council's standing committee. The photo shows a bird's-eye view rendering of the Misa Lake Park music fountain. Provided by Hanam City.

On September 15, Hanam City stated that the installation of a musical fountain and water screen is necessary to revive the depressed commercial district in Misa and to improve the water quality of Mangwolcheon. The city urged the City Council's Special Budget and Accounts Committee, which convenes on September 16, to reinstate the budget.

Previously, the City Council’s Urban Construction Committee had reviewed the fourth supplementary budget proposal for 2026 and eliminated the entire KRW 2.8 billion allocated for the project, citing reasons such as a lack of quantitative verification regarding the impact on revitalizing the commercial district.

Hanam City maintains that, due to the characteristics of its local commercial districts, it is difficult to secure standardized sales statistics. Many in the Misa commercial area are exempt from VAT because their annual sales are less than KRW 48 million or they are simplified taxpayers with income under KRW 104 million, making it challenging to compile official financial or sales data like those of corporate entities.

To supplement this, the city submitted an analysis of credit card sales and local currency payment big data to the City Council. Analysis showed that, during the "Music in the Hanam" event last April, total sales in the Misa commercial district increased by 32.3% and local currency sales rose by 68.9% compared to the same period a year earlier.

The city also explained that as store closures are on the rise around Misa Culture Street and restaurant districts, and consumer spending is moving toward Seoul’s Godeok-Gangil District and Godeok Biz Valley, there is urgent need for waterfront tourism content to attract outside visitors. Hanam City argued that the area needs an iconic crowd-drawing facility, similar to the fountain show at Dongtan Lake Park in Hwaseong or the waterfront attractions at Busan’s Gwangalli Beach.

The city highlighted the economic value of facility replacement as well. The existing fountain, built by Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) in 2017 and handed over to Hanam City in 2019, has completely ceased operation due to corrosion from sediment and seawater inflow. Over the past three years, KRW 130 million has been spent on maintenance, and even basic repairs are now estimated to require an additional KRW 600 million.

In contrast, if the facility is replaced with one featuring advanced construction techniques such as sealed structures and protective filters, maintenance expenses for the next ten years are expected to total roughly KRW 620 million. The city also anticipates benefits such as improved water circulation and aeration from fountain operation, which should help reduce odors and algal blooms in Mangwolcheon.

Hanam City has already secured KRW 2 billion from provincial special funds for water quality improvement and KRW 200 million in provincial grants, for a total of KRW 2.2 billion for the project. Recently, more than 500 residents of Misa 1-dong submitted petitions to the city and city council requesting the installation of the musical fountain.

A Hanam City official stated, "Rather than repeatedly spending taxpayer money on temporary repairs, we must establish modern facilities that will revitalize the commercial district and improve water quality," adding, "We look forward to a wise decision from the Special Budget and Accounts Committee."

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