Gwangju City Health and Environment Research Institute Opens New Office... Ushering in the Yuchon-dong Era

On the afternoon of the 15th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, attended the opening ceremony of the new Gwangju Health and Environment Research Institute building located in Yuchon-dong, Seo-gu, and performed a COVID-19 overcoming performance with Seo Dae-seok, Seo-gu District Mayor, Jo Seok-ho, Vice Chairman of the Gwangju City Council, Jeong Jae-geun, Director of the Health and Environment Research Institute, and other researchers. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] The Gwangju Metropolitan City Health and Environment Research Institute held an opening ceremony at the new office in Yuchon-dong, Seo-gu, on the afternoon of the 15th, marking a new beginning.

The opening ceremony was attended by Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City; Seo Dae-seok, Mayor of Seo-gu, Gwangju; Jo Seok-ho, Vice Chairman of the Gwangju City Council; Shin Su-jeong, Chairperson of the Environment and Welfare Committee of the Gwangju City Council; and Lee Hong-il, Chairperson of the Administrative Autonomy Committee. Considering the COVID-19 situation, strict quarantine measures such as attendee registration, temperature checks, and hand sanitizer provision were thoroughly observed.

The event proceeded in the order of a report on the progress of the new office construction, a visit to encourage the COVID-19 testing laboratory operating 24 hours a day and the comprehensive air environment control room, and a COVID-19 overcoming performance to deliver messages of support to citizens facing difficulties due to COVID-19.

The new Health and Environment Research Institute office, prepared after 29 years, was built on a 23,584㎡ site with a total project cost of 30 billion KRW. Construction began in January 2019 and was completed in September this year, with a total floor area of 11,087㎡ consisting of one basement floor and four above-ground floors. The city’s Health and Environment Research Institute completed its move to the new office on October 21 and has begun full-scale operations.

The new office consists of an infectious disease research building and a food and drug research building, as well as an animal hygiene testing laboratory, equipped with specialized laboratories and research rooms for responding to new infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

In particular, in line with the government’s eco-friendly policies to address climate change, the building was constructed as an energy-saving and environmentally friendly office by installing a geothermal system, solar power system, LED lighting fixtures, and rainwater recycling system, earning the 'Excellent Grade for Green Building' and 'Building Energy Efficiency Grade 1+'.

The new office received an excellent grade in the 'Barrier-Free (BF) Preliminary Certification' to ensure that all visitors can use the building safely and conveniently, and is currently preparing for the main certification.

Jung Jae-geun, Director of the City Health and Environment Research Institute, stated, “With the move to the new office, we will do our best to become a professional research institution responsible for the health and environment of citizens by working together with our staff.”

Mayor Lee Yong-seop said, “The old Hwajeong-dong office was old and lacked space, making research activities difficult. With the move to the new office, we can provide better health and environment services to citizens. As we start anew in this new space, I ask that you devote all efforts to preventing the spread of COVID-19 as a central institution for COVID-19 diagnostic testing.”

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