Korea’s Jinju speeds up “Jinyang Lake Renaissance” transformation project

Jinyang Lake Park. Many trees and an observatory are visible.

(Illustration by Jinju City/Illustration courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea)

Jinju is accelerating its ongoing Jinyang Lake Renaissance Project, reshaping the lakeside park into a growing hub for leisure, culture, and family-friendly outdoor experiences.

Once a nostalgic weekend destination in the 1980s and ’90s, Jinyang Lake Park has been undergoing phased upgrades, adding walking trails, cultural spaces, and eco-themed facilities.

Recent additions such as the Acheon Book Café, gallery spaces, and the Hamo Forest Play Area have helped turn the area into a new local gathering spot, with more than 40,000 visitors recorded at the cultural facilities alone.

One of the most popular new attractions is the Jinyang Lake Sunset Trail, a combination of a barrier-free deck walkway and forest path offering lake and sunset views along a six-kilometer route. The trail has quickly become a favorite for casual walkers and families.

The city is also moving ahead with plans to revamp the lakeside viewing deck, redevelop the old pier zone as a music-themed healing space, and create an ecology management center and forest garden, all part of a longer-term plan to position the lake as a key tourism and recreation site in the southern region.

Jinju is also pursuing the relocation and expansion of the Jinyang Lake Zoo to a new site, with an emphasis on modern animal-welfare standards and upgraded visitor facilities.

Fleet Chinhae