Chonnam National University’s ‘Yongbonggwan’ Designated as National Registered Cultural Heritage

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Gwan-woo] The former main building of Chonnam National University, ‘Yongbonggwan,’ has been registered as a nationally designated cultural heritage.

According to Chonnam National University on the 22nd, Yongbonggwan was recognized for its value as a modern cultural heritage and was designated and registered as a National Registered Cultural Heritage by the Cultural Heritage Administration.

With this, Chonnam National University now has its third registered cultural heritage building, following the College of Humanities Building No. 1 (September 2004) and the Medical School building located in Hakdong (August 2018).

Yongbonggwan is highly valued in modern architectural history for its characteristics of public buildings from the 1950s to 1960s, such as the tower-shaped structure with a vertically elevated central part of the building and the symmetrical treatment of the left and right parts in elevation and floor plan centered around it.

In particular, Yongbonggwan was used as the university headquarters for nearly 30 years from December 1957 to May 1996, symbolizing the 70-year history of the university and simultaneously holding historical significance as one of the sites of the May 18 Democratic Uprising.

Currently, it serves as the University History Hall, with the first floor housing a video room, the Democracy Exhibition Hall, and the May 18 Memorial Hall, and the second floor consisting of a permanent exhibition hall and a planned exhibition room, utilized as an experience and education center.

Buildings designated as National Registered Cultural Heritage can receive maintenance and management costs from the government, enabling more systematic management.

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