Wando Complex Cultural Library Blueprint "Unveiled"... Synergy with Lifelong Learning Center Key to Success

15 billion won investment; completion targeted for 2029
Synergies expected with the Wando Lifelong Learning Center
Easing the parking crunch remains the biggest challenge

A detailed blueprint has been unveiled for the Wando Complex Cultural Library (County Library), set to become a new landmark in Wando County, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City. As securing parking has emerged as a key challenge in the early stages of construction, the importance of establishing a lifelong learning center to address poor facilities for practical classes is also coming into focus

If both the county library and the Wando Lifelong Learning Center run by the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Office of Education are successfully built, they are expected not only to maximize benefits for county residents but also to make a significant contribution to revitalizing nearby commercial districts.

Wando County held a public briefing for residents on the basic and detailed design competition for the Wando Complex Cultural Library construction project. Reporter Lee Junkyeong.

At 10:30 a.m. on October 30, Wando County's Culture and Arts Division held a resident briefing session on the design competition for the basic and detailed design of the Wando Complex Cultural Library project in the main conference room on the third floor of the Youth Center, with around 50 local residents in attendance.

According to the county, the Complex Cultural Library will be built from 2025 to 2029 on and around 782-13 Gunae-ri, Wando-eup, with a total project cost of 15 billion won. It will occupy a site of 1,198 square meters and have a gross floor area of 2,800 square meters, with four floors above ground. Key facilities will include a children's resource room and a book cafe on the first floor, a youth zone on the second floor, a general collection room on the third floor, and a multipurpose room on the fourth floor.

Biggest sticking point is securing parking: "Practical traffic measures urgently needed"

The issues raised most prominently during the question-and-answer session were concerns about a "lack of parking" and "worsening traffic congestion." According to the design plan, the Complex Cultural Library will have just 10 parking spaces, barely meeting the legal requirement: nine regular spaces and one accessible space.

Residents voiced concern, saying, "Dozens of people or more will visit when events or meetings are held, but if there are only 10 parking spaces, illegal parking on nearby roads and traffic congestion will become even more serious." Residents of nearby apartment complexes also called for "clear measures to ease traffic congestion, such as painting solid yellow lines—indicating no stopping or parking—on roads around the library or creating a car-free street."

A county official said the county fully recognized the difficulty of securing parking because of the limited site, and pledged: "We will continue to pursue a competitive grant project to build a parking tower on the public parking lot site opposite the library in coordination with the Regional Development Division. We will also consult with the Wando Police Station and, following review by the traffic deliberation committee, develop firm traffic measures, including designating solid yellow lines."

Urgent need for a lifelong learning center to improve poor facilities: "Close discussions with the education office are essential"

Alongside the library project, the need to establish a separate lifelong learning center to improve the poor educational environment also came under discussion. Of the more than 900 lifelong learning students in Wando-eup, over 60% (around 500 people) currently take practical courses such as choir and yoga.

However, the only dedicated practical classroom is on the third floor of the Culture and Arts Center. As a result, many residents have to rent cramped meeting rooms from private organizations and take classes in poor conditions. This is why establishing a proper lifelong learning center is considered essential to supporting residents' health and well-being.

Artist's rendering of the Wando Complex Cultural Library. Courtesy of Wando County.

The plan initially discussed by Wando County and the Office of Education to jointly build a county library and lifelong learning center was scrapped. Wando County has settled on building the county library at its current site in front of the credit union, while the Wando Office of Education will invest approximately 29 billion won to build a separate lifelong learning center.

A county official said a meeting with the Office of Education on the matter is scheduled for next month. Observers say Wando County and the Office of Education will need to maintain close discussions and cooperation to ensure both facilities can fully serve their intended purposes.

County library and lifelong learning center as a "two-pronged engine": Synergy expected to revitalize local businesses

If the "County Complex Cultural Library," focused on study and reading, and a "lifelong learning center" offering a full range of active and varied learning programs are both successfully built, the educational and cultural benefits for county residents are expected to be maximized. The impact would be even greater if the county library evolves beyond a simple reading room into a "cultural complex center" enjoyed by people of all ages.

If the comfortable new library serves as a hub attracting not only local residents but also tourists visiting Wando, it could naturally draw more foot traffic and help revitalize nearby commercial districts that have fallen into decline.

Attention is now focused on whether Wando can achieve both goals—improving residents' quality of life and revitalizing the local economy—by finding a practical solution to the library's immediate challenge of securing parking and building strong cooperation with the Office of Education to establish the lifelong learning center.

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