Seoul to build public hobby farm on Han River island

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday it will create public farmland on the central Seoul island of Nodeul, overturning its earlier plan to build an opera house there, as part of efforts to promote farming in the city.

Under the new plan, the municipal government will transform about one third of the uninhabited island in the middle of the Han River into farmland before renting it out to the public starting in May. The island, covering 60,818 square meters, has long been deserted with part of it once used as a tennis court.

Empty spaces on the island will be used for a public park with a hobby farm for children as well as walking trails, the city government said.

Under former Mayor Oh Se-hoon, the government had planned to build an opera house and a concert hall with a budget of 673.5 billion won ($599.7 million) by 2014. The plan was reversed by current Mayor Park Won-soon who has pushed to reinvigorate a sense of community through eco-friendly projects such as kitchen gardens in the city.

"We've decided to tentatively operate farmland on the island as it would take at least two years to alter the usage of the land into other purposes", said Choi Kwang-bin, director of the city's parks department.

"It would serve as a desirable leisure place for the public as it is located at the center of the city", he added.

During a conference held in downtown Seoul to explore ways to promote urban agriculture, the city government vowed to devise a master plan to make Seoul "a mecca for the urban agriculture" in five years.

The municipal government said it will set up a committee and ordinances to promote farming in Seoul, while devising policy measures to allow more citizens to have their own allotments.

"As agriculture is the source of our life, it cannot be destroyed or removed from our society", Park said. "If we use our imagination, every place including the Han River and Gwanghwamun, would be available for farming". (Yonhap)

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