Third community dialogue session of 2026 held Tuesday
Hanam city held its third "2026 Community Dialogue Second-Half Results Report" session Tuesday at the main auditorium of the Hanam City Hall annex, bringing together residents of Cheonhyeon, Sinjang 1 and 2, Deokpung 1, 2 and 3, Gambuk, Chungung and Choi-dong to share progress on submitted proposals and key pending issues.
The session followed earlier meetings held Friday for the Misa area and Monday for the Gamil area, with a final session for the Wirye area scheduled for Wednesday.
Of 227 proposals received this year, the city has completed 86 and is actively pursuing 108 more. Department and division heads presented their implementation plans, after which Mayor Lee Hyeon-jae led a 50-minute question-and-answer session.
The Camp Colburn redevelopment — the city's flagship development project — will transform approximately 250,000 square meters in the Hasangok-dong area into a mixed-use complex featuring shopping, cultural, residential and office facilities. The total project cost is approximately 280 billion won ($212 million). The city selected a preferred negotiating partner in February and plans to establish a special purpose company in May 2027 following investment feasibility reviews.
For the H2 site, a basic concept study is set to be completed in December, with a feasibility review to follow in the first half of next year. Redevelopment around Hanam City Hall Station has already cleared two milestones — designation as an improvement zone in July last year and approval of a cooperative preparatory committee in September last year — and the city is now pursuing the establishment of an old-downtown renewal consultation center along with integrated deliberation procedures.
On transportation, the planned provisional Sindeokpung Station on the subway Line 3 extension — known as the Songpa-Hanam line — will be relocated 340 meters north of its originally planned position to improve accessibility, with transfer convenience facilities also to be expanded. Design work is underway with a target completion date in the second half of 2032. The Hanam Dream Transfer Center was newly included in the national transfer center development master plan in August, with a total budget of 129.7 billion won earmarked to build an integrated transfer system linking subway and bus services. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport launched a new feasibility study on the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway in August, and the city said it will continue to push for the Gamil-to-Sangsangok IC section to break ground first.
Underground cabling work has been completed for phase one of the Sinjang Market area, while phase two along the commuter route to Namhan High School is set to break ground in March 2027 with a target completion date of December 2028. Phase three covering the Deokpung Market and Namhan Middle School area is scheduled to begin in November next year. Deokpung Neighborhood Park will have its outdoor stage and rest and exercise facilities upgraded by year's end.
The city is also focusing on local economic revitalization. It plans to apply for a cultural tourism traditional market development program to help transform Sinjang, Deokpung, the seafood traditional market and the Seokbadae Market shopping district into specialty markets. City gas supply pipeline installation has been completed in the Gambuk 6 district, and work in the Cheonhyeon 9 district is set to begin by year's end, with pipeline construction to continue through 2027.
In education, the Hanam Education Support Office — the first of its kind to be established as a standalone institution in South Korea — is scheduled to open in September 2027. Namhan High School will receive 100 million won ($75,600) through its selection for the Autonomous Public High School 2.0 program, along with 60 million won in academic improvement funding. Incoming elementary school students will each receive 100,000 won in enrollment support.
Everyday quality-of-life requests were also addressed. The park golf course at Dangjeong Neighborhood Park began a trial operation Friday and runs through year's end, with reservations available through Hanam Urban Corporation's online booking system. Environmental improvements to Deokpungcheon stream will be coordinated with LH in connection with the Gyosan district project, while work on Dongsucheon stream targets completion in December 2027 and on Bamnamu Danji stream in December 2028. Installation of a 1.6-kilometer noise barrier tunnel along the Junbu Expressway between the Hanam Junction and Hanam interchange is also under discussion with relevant agencies.
During the question-and-answer session, residents raised issues including road construction, improvements to living conditions and underground cabling. When one resident asked about the timeline for opening an access road to Sinpyeong village, Mayor Lee explained the city's plan to proceed with compensation procedures next year.
When another resident raised concerns about poorly maintained flower beds near the Deokpung 1-dong public parking lot, Lee directed relevant departments to coordinate and address the issue promptly. A merchant from Sinjang Traditional Market asked about delays in the underground cabling project and the status of the cultural tourism market program application, and Lee urged officials to accelerate the construction and ensure the application process proceeds without delay.
"We will push forward without delay on key projects — including the Camp Colburn development, transportation network expansion and underground cabling — to realize the vision of Hanam's old downtown as the center of a South Korea that leaps forward on the strength of its history and boundless potential," Mayor Lee Hyeon-jae said. "We will do our utmost so that residents can feel the change in their daily lives."
pjh@heraldcorp.com
