Introduction to Anyang City: One of nearest cities from Seoul

Let's get in to Anyang City. We discuss the plans Anyang city has made for 2021 such as new deal plans, and urban generation.

Anyang, located 21 kilometers south of Seoul and 19 kilometers north of Suwon City, is a key city in Gyeonggi Province. It has a population of approximately 575,000 people and an area of 58.46 square kilometers, making it the 9th most populous and 20th largest city in the province. It is connected to Seoul via Seoul Subway Line 1 (“Blue line”) and Line 4 (“Sky blue line”), as well as by a range of other transportation options.

The name ‘Anyang’ is taken from the Buddhist temple ‘Anyang-sa,’ which was named by Taejo of Goryeo (a.k.a. Wang Geon), the first king of the Goryeo Dynasty.

Anyang City is home to the Anyang Halla, a professional ice hockey team that is a member of the Asia League Ice Hockey. Anyang Halla won its first Asian hockey league title in 2010, making it the first South Korean team to do so. Anyang is also home to the Anyang KGC basketball team, which plays in the Korean Basketball League; it won the league championship for the first time in 2012. Anyang also founded its own professional football team, FC Anyang, in 2013. Playing in K League 2, FC Anyang replaced FC Seoul, formerly known as the Anyang LG Cheetahs, which had been based in Anyang but then relocated to Seoul in 2004 for commercial reasons. FC Anyang is funded by the city along as well as through sponsorship by its principal sponsor, Kookmin Bank. All three teams play at the Anyang Stadium complex.

Anyang City is also renowned as the hometown of K-pop celebrities such as Jenny of Blackpink, Jin of BTS, and Sejeong of Gugudan.

Current Policies and Industries

Smart AED Technology

Anyang City was the first local government in Korea to closely support a comprehensive industrial convergence regulation sandbox like a corporate legal team, setting the precedent in Korea for the granting of temporary permits and helping Smart AED technology to enter the market.

In addition, through continuous multi-channel proposals to central government ministries, Anyang City has eased supplementary regulations on procurement and private contracts, lead to innovation in previously blocked public markets.

*What is Smart AED Technology?

Smart AED technology encompasses globally innovative medical convergence technologies that can accurately and effectively manage automatic cardiac shock devices based on the Internet of Things so as to increase the survival rate of emergency patients. 

Anyang Surisan Mountain
ⓒGyeonggi Province

Urban Regeneration

The city government is pursuing urban regeneration projects in 2 communities: Anyang 8-dong Myeonghak Village and Bakdal 1-dong Jeongwon Village.

Myeonghak Village was established in 1974 with the construction of Myeonghak Station. The population then increased with the establishment of Myeonghak Elementary School and large hospitals in the area, but the outflow of young people has since intensified and road infrastructure has been deteriorating. To revitalize the local community, the city allocated KRW 800 million including national road expenditures for the maintenance of roadways in the village and the installation of bollards and safety fences so as to ensure public safety. In addition, road asphalt (8,489 square meters) and sidewalks (2759 square meters) in the vicinity have also been renewed.

Anyang City Mayor Choi Dae-ho has stated that the Myeonghak Village Urban Regeneration is being pursued as an exemplary case in the country, and that he will continue to provide support until the project is completed.

Latest News and Action Plan for 2021

Anyang New Deal

Anyang City is accelerating its “Anyang New Deal” initiatives so as to improve the happiness of residents. The Anyang New Deal coincides with the Korean central government's New Deal policies, and entails comprehensive mid to long-term development plans for Anyang City. In line with the Anyang New Deal, the city plans to actively promote four major initiatives: the Youth New Deal, the Smart New Deal, the Green New Deal, and the Human New Deal.

Introduction to 4 “New Deal” initiatives

1.Youth New Deal
Anyang City has budgeted a total of KRW 647 billion for the creation of 46,000 jobs next year. In addition, the government plans to invest KRW 3.78 trillion so as to generate 140,000 jobs by 2025. The core concept is job creation for young people. To this end, the city intends to foster 100 young start-ups through the arrangement of initial corporate funding and marketing support.

2. Smart New Deal
Anyang City plans to establish the IoT Gyeonggi Base Center by 2022 through the province-wide expansion of the city's smart city integration center. With the introduction of a "safe commuting" mobile application, which is being developed as representative of the city, Anyang plans to complete the development of complex cognitive technology for the identification of missing people by 2025, enabling them to be found faster through the utilization of facial recognition technology.

3. Green New Deal
Pyeongchon Green Smart Park—which connects Pyeongchon Central Park, City Hall Plaza, and Pyeongchon Park—will be developed as an eco-friendly space and digital theme park, thereby creating a large-scale resting area in the city.

4. Human New Deal

Anyang City will continue to create public jobs for the vulnerable and baby boomers, including those aged 65 or older, while supporting vocational education, internships, and job counseling for women seeking to continue their careers. Moreover, the city government plans to increase subsidies for the expansion of creative activities among cultural artists.

Anyang Art Park
ⓒGyeonggi Province

Anyang Sammaksa Temple
ⓒGyeonggi Province