Yongsan-gu Modern and Contemporary History Museum Construction Gains Momentum

Yongsan Modern History Museum Establishment Feasibility Pre-Evaluation Passed... Old Yongsan Railroad Hospital Renovation... Total 5,097.7㎡, Construction Starts Next Year, Opening Scheduled for 2022

The former Yongsan Railroad Hospital, where Yongsan-gu is promoting the establishment of a Museum of Modern and Contemporary History

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) has received a green light for the construction project of the Yongsan Modern and Contemporary History Museum, which is being promoted as a campaign pledge of the 7th elected mayor.

The project passed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's feasibility pre-evaluation for the establishment of public museums and art galleries in the second half of 2020 with a rating of "appropriate."

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's pre-evaluation is a mandatory procedure that local governments must go through to build a museum. After applying for the pre-evaluation in July, the district underwent written (1st), on-site (2nd), and presentation (3rd) evaluations, ultimately receiving a final appropriate rating.

The museum will be built on the site of the former Yongsan Railroad Hospital (Hangang-daero 14-gil 35-29, Registered Cultural Heritage No. 428). The district plans to renovate the existing building (renovation means repairing or expanding the exterior or interior partially or entirely without changing the structure) to serve as the main museum building and establish a separate storage facility. The total area is 5,097.7㎡.

The main museum building will have one basement floor and two above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 2,429㎡. Its primary uses will be exhibition rooms, education rooms, and office spaces, featuring permanent and special exhibitions and educational programs under the theme of "Borderless Yongsan," which aims to resonate with all generations.

In particular, the permanent exhibition hall is expected to showcase chronological exhibitions such as "Center of the Han River," "Commercial City," "Military City," and "Cold War City," as well as thematic exhibitions like "Yongsan Park," "Railroads," and "Diversity" all at once.

Additionally, various special exhibitions are being planned, including "Yongsan Railroad Hospital, Reborn (Opening Special Exhibition)," "Collector's Secret Notes," "Yongsan Architecture Guide," and "Memory of Media."

A district official stated, "We will create a complex cultural space that can communicate with citizens," adding, "We are also planning experiential programs linked to special exhibitions, education in cooperation with embassies, humanities lectures, and teacher training courses."

The museum storage facility will have a total floor area of 1,763.3㎡ and will be located on the first basement floor of a newly constructed building on the south side of the museum.

The project is being carried out in partnership with HDC Hyundai Development Company. In August last year, HDC Hyundai Development Company signed a development agreement with Korea Railroad Corporation, the owner of the Yongsan Railroad Hospital site, for a 10,948㎡ area including the former railroad hospital at Hangangno 3-ga 65-154.

The plan is to renovate the old railroad hospital main building and donate it to the district, while developing the remaining site into a residential complex of about 60,000㎡. The project is currently awaiting the Seoul city district unit plan decision (urban planning change) procedure.

The district first planned the museum construction at the end of 2017. Since then, it has proceeded with hiring curators, forming a museum construction advisory group, conducting basic planning research, and acquiring museum materials, recently completing the detailed basic plan for exhibitions.

Currently, the district is establishing a restoration and maintenance plan for the Yongsan Railroad Hospital and will hold a related briefing session in the district office's main conference room on the 18th.

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan District

Mayor Seong Jang-hyun of Yongsan said, "By passing the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's pre-evaluation, which assesses the feasibility and sustainable development potential of the museum project, we can now accelerate the process," adding, "We will focus administrative efforts to start construction in the first half of next year and open the museum in 2022."

He also emphasized, "We have secured about 3,000 artifacts so far through donations, purchases, and other methods," and "We will continue to collect materials until the opening."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.