Residents as the main agent of World Heritage revitalization: the Suwon Hwaseong Haenggung-dong Village Cooperative Association

Residents as the main agent of World Heritage revitalization: the Suwon Hwaseong Haenggung-dong Village Cooperative Association

Suwon Hwaseong was inscribed as World Heritage in 1997 which brought a sharp increase in annual visitors from 300,000 to 1,500,000. However, the aging population, the decline of the inner city, and the conservation and management of World Heritage created a stark gap between the village as a place of living and the World Heritage property. The promotion of World Heritage by the city administration and external actors brought many visitors, but the local areas suffered from increased noise pollution, garbage and safety issues that weighted on local communities. To establish a neighborhood that would be a safe place to raise children and a desirable place to live, a small group of people came together and developed a consultative body focused on resolving community issues. As World Heritage festivals became more established and participated by more community members, a cooperative association was formed to increase the local jobs and earnings that could be reinvested for local welfare.