BUSAN < invest Korea

According to Yonhap News,

(BUSAN=Yonhap News) A landmark promenade will be built between Haeundae Beach and a nearby train station that will further help boost tourism to one of Busan's iconic attractions, municipal sources said Thursday.

According to Haeundae-gu in northeastern Busan, South Korea's largest port, the 490-meter long and 30m wide Gunam-ro will be changed so the center part can be used exclusively by pedestrians. This will make it easier for people getting off trains at Haeundae Station, which connects the port city to destinations like Seoul, to reach the beach and main tourist attractions.

It said while the road will be made more pedestrian-friendly, one-way car traffic will be permitted on the sides of the walkway.

"The change will effectively transform Gunam-ro, which is one of the main thoroughfares in Haeundae, into a square that can be used for large cultural events," a ward official said. He said road traffic could be blocked on special occasions to allow more people to use the road. He also predicted that car traffic will be halted during the summer months when the beach attracts millions of people from South Korea and abroad.

It said some 5.5 billion won (US$4.8 million) has been set aside for the transformation with actual construction work to kickoff in November. It said if all goes according to plan, the new walkway will be opened to the public in June 2017, ahead of the summer tourism season.

yonngong@yna.co.kr

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