Bonghwa County, a mountainous area in North Gyeongsang Province about 210 kilometers south of Seoul, was designated South Korea’s latest Special Regional Development Zone on Aug. 6, paving the way for its ambitious “K-Vietnam Valley” project, The Korea Times reported.
The development draws on a historical connection between the region and Vietnam dating back 800 years.
In 1226, during Korea’s Goryeo Dynasty, Prince Ly Long Tuong, the seventh son of Vietnamese King Ly Anh Tong, crossed the sea and arrived on the Korean Peninsula. King Gojong gave him and his followers refuge and land, allowing them to settle and gradually become part of Korean society.
Prince Ly and his descendants later helped the Goryeo kingdom fight Mongol invasions and established the Hwasan Lee clan.
Descendants of the clan continue to live in Bonghwa today, according to Korea Bizwire. The county is also home to Chunghyodang, a historic shrine dedicated to a 13th-generation descendant of the clan who was killed at age 19 while fighting Japanese forces during the Imjin War of 1592–1598.
Bonghwa is the only place in South Korea where physical relics linked to this branch of Vietnam’s Ly Dynasty royal family remain.
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Cherry blossoms in South Korea. Illustration photo by Unsplash |
Local authorities now hope to turn that centuries-old connection into a catalyst for tourism, investment and population growth.
Roh Yong-seok, South Korea’s Vice Minister of SMEs and Startups, described the initiative as “a novel attempt to connect an 800-year history of bilateral interaction directly to cultural tourism and regional economic vitality,” according to The Korea Times.
Covering nearly 880,000 square meters, the K-Vietnam Valley will comprise eight specialized zones and is expected to be completed by 2030.
At the heart of the development will be a 200 billion won cultural and educational complex highlighting the Ly Dynasty connection. In addition to serving as a tourist destination, the facility will provide settlement support for Vietnamese immigrants and multicultural families living in South Korea.
Plans also include a Vietnam-themed resort near Changpyeong Lake, high-tech agricultural areas and eco-tourism facilities along the Baekdudaegan Mountain Range.