Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo has vowed to revive original city centers of small-and mid-sized cities in provincial areas by drastically easing regulations. 

Park made the pledge on Wednesday while touring around the stores and streets of Jungang-dong in Iksan city, North Jeolla Province where urban regeneration projects are actively under way. The area had, in the past, served as an original city center that housed large commercial facilities thanks to its proximity to Iksan train station. 

The minister vowed to assign the function of key hubs to original city centers while creating multi-development hubs where residential, commercial and industrial functions are integrated in order to pursue projects that highlight regional characteristics. 

Also on Wednesday, Park visited the national food cluster “Foodpolis” in Wanggung-myeon in Iksan and promised to swiftly pursue the second phase of the cluster project. 

The second phase aims to create a multi-industrial complex on a two million square meter plot near the existing Foodpolis. The government plans to inject 385-and-a-half billion won through 2028 for the envisioned complex.