Assemblyman Heo Jong-sik "Yeongjongdo Dredged Soil Dump Site, Science Hall Construction Promotion"

Ministry of Science and ICT Approves Incorporation for Science Hall Establishment... Initiates Public Land Development
Rep. Heo: "Education and Research Site Development Plan Requires Collaboration Between Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and Incheon City"

Democratic Party of Korea Representative Heo Jong-sik

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] On the site of the Incheon Port Yeongjongdo dredged soil disposal area (commonly known as 'Hansang Dream Island'), the first port redevelopment project in Korea proposed by the private sector, private land sales are underway for the creation of sports facilities such as a golf course, aquarium, and water park, as well as amusement parks, while the establishment of a Science Hall as a public facility is being promoted.

On the 18th, Heo Jongsik, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (Incheon Dong-gu Michuhol-gu Gap), announced, "The Science Hall Establishment Promotion Committee has received approval from the Ministry of Science and ICT to establish a corporation to build the Science Hall on the educational research facility site of the Yeongjongdo dredged soil disposal area."

Accordingly, the promotion committee is expected to formalize the establishment of the Science Hall by starting corporate registration, negotiating site acquisition with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Science and ICT, and enacting related laws.

The promotion committee is co-chaired by former Minister of Science and Technology Lee Sanghee and Yang Changyoung, CEO of World Hansang Dream Island, and its members consist of experts from the scientific community, industry, and academia.

The committee stated that out of the 158,000㎡ educational research land owned by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries within the dredged soil disposal area, 47,000㎡ of land is required, and the construction cost is expected to be about 350 billion KRW for a building area of approximately 117,000㎡.

Representative Heo explained that the movement to establish the Science Hall is significant as it marks the beginning of the educational research land development project within the Yeongjongdo dredged soil disposal area.

The government has established a policy that, since the dredged soil disposal area is public land, infrastructure sites (educational research facilities, parks) should be secured as much as possible to maintain public nature.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is seeking tenant institutions to introduce ▲ R&D research complexes ▲ school facilities ▲ training centers ▲ public institutions separately from the establishment of the Science Hall in the educational research district. Within the project area, six parks (covering 302,752㎡, 9.1% of the total site) including a baseball field, ecological park, wildflower park, and camping facilities are planned.

Despite plans to develop the 3.32 million㎡ area, which is 1.1 times the size of Yeouido, into an international marine waterfront harmonizing tourism, leisure, educational research, and public functions, there has been criticism that the port redevelopment project has degenerated into a golf course construction project, as 1.65 million㎡, accounting for 49.6% of the total site, is planned to be developed as a 36-hole golf course.

According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, private businesses Dream Island Leisure and Daesung Construction have signed preliminary contracts for 1.16 million㎡ of golf course land and 170,000㎡ of amusement park land including an aquarium and water park, respectively.

Representative Heo Jongsik said, "The Yeongjongdo dredged soil disposal area port redevelopment is a project included in the Moon Jae-in administration’s 100 national tasks, with development plans centered on tourism and research complexes such as golf courses, marine ecological parks, and marine fisheries research complexes. As the site development work will be completed next year, a cooperative system between the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and Incheon City should be established regarding the educational research land development plan including the Science Hall, and the local community should also engage in public discussions."

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