Korea’s innovation city dream stumbles on poor planning and policy drift

On a hot Wednesday morning, the streets of Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, were nearly silent. Pulling over along a four-lane road near town, the only movement visible through the car window came from a few construction vehicles. At the nearby bus stop, neither bus nor passengers appeared. When asked for lunch recommendations nearby, a restaurant staffer waved her hand dismissively. “The nearest market is more than 15 minutes by car. In this heat, just find a cafe.” Despite housing 11 public institutions related to education and information and communication technology, and employing over 3,000 people, the so-called Chungbuk Innovation City in Eumseong felt like an empty hallway between classes. Kim Jang-hyun (alias), 37, who worked here for eight years, said this was nothing new. “On weekdays, you see people inside the buildings. But come the weekend, half the city disappears,” he said. “Most people commute from outside or leave every weekend for Seoul or Sejong.” Public facilities are few, culture almost nonexistent. There are no parks or cultural facilities, nowhereWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times