Suncheon mayor weighs fate of riverside grass plaza ahead of public forum

Suncheon to hold two citizen listening sessions on whether to restore the Ocheon Green Island to its original state

Suncheon is organizing a public forum to gather citizen input on whether to restore a grass plaza built over a road — known as the Ocheon Green Island — that was created by the city's previous mayor ahead of a major garden expo.

The Ocheon Green Island was created by closing a riverside road along the Dongcheon stream and laying down turf ahead of the 2023 Suncheon Bay Garden Expo. While the project was considered a signature achievement of former Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu, his successor, Mayor Son Hun-mo, made restoring the site to its original state a campaign pledge during the June 3 local elections, calling it a prime example of Noh's failure to communicate with residents.

Suncheon said it will hold two "citizen listening sessions" on Wednesday — one at Yeonhyang Library and another at the Hyeoksin Agricultural Innovation Center in Deokwol-dong — to hear a range of public views on the Green Island, with each session serving a different district of the city.

The first session will be held at 10:30 a.m. at Yeonhyang Library, followed by a second at 2 p.m. at the Hyeoksin Agricultural Innovation Center. Any Suncheon resident may attend without prior registration.

The sessions are designed to help residents understand the background and key issues surrounding the Green Island project and to give the public a broad opportunity to speak. Each session will include an overview of the current state of the Green Island, open comment periods and a question-and-answer segment.

"Through these listening sessions, we aim to identify the concerns and practical needs of residents and take them fully into account as the project moves forward," an official from the city's Citizen Sovereignty Office said.