Haenam-gun 'The Beginning of 100 Years of Hope with Proud Residents'

Starting Work at the New Government Building... Expecting Improved Administrative Services for Residents

Hannam-gun held the new government office plaque ceremony. ⓒ Asia Economy

[Haenam＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] Jeonnam Haenam-gun announced that after about a month of trial operation and department relocation procedures following the completion of the new government building last month, it began operations at the new building starting on the 13th.

The relocation to the new building was completed with the start of document storage relocation on the 30th of last month, the move of 3 to 4 departments on the 1st, and the final relocation of the county mayor’s and vice mayor’s offices over the weekend of the 11th and 12th.

The new government building, which began construction in 2019 with the goal of "the start of 100 years of hope with proud residents," was completed with a total area of 18,601㎡, consisting of a 7-story county office building and a 5-story county council building.

The county office building includes a mother and child lounge and resident communication space on the 1st floor; the 2nd floor houses a history hall, a book caf?, and a large conference room, serving as resident-friendly spaces; the 3rd floor has a staff lounge and outdoor rest area; the 4th to 6th floors are designated for staff workspaces; and the 7th floor contains the CCTV control center, disaster situation room, and an in-house cafeteria.

A parking lot capable of accommodating over 130 vehicles is also provided both above and below ground.

The county council building includes a resident communication room and council lobby on the 1st floor; the finance department office on the 2nd floor; and the main council chamber, standing committee rooms, and individual council member offices on the 3rd to 5th floors.

Haenam-gun recently postponed the opening ceremony to provide better administrative services as soon as possible, considering COVID-19 prevention and residents’ inconveniences during construction. On the 13th, a simple plaque unveiling ceremony was held at the north entrance on the 1st floor with only a small number of attendees, and operations at the new building commenced.

Meanwhile, the old government building, which had been with Haenam residents for over 50 years since 1968, will be demolished in earnest after Chuseok following the completion of the relocation, thus becoming part of history.

The old government building, consisting of two buildings with a total area of 6,478.45㎡, has 2 underground floors and 4 aboveground floors. The reinforced concrete and masonry sections will be demolished using a crushing method that breaks down from upper to lower floors with equipment equipped with crushers, while the steel frame sections will be dismantled using a cutting method.

During the demolition design process, to minimize the impact on the growth environment of the Suseongsong pine trees, consultations were held with Cultural Heritage Administration advisory committee members. As a result, only up to the middle of the underground 1st floor walls will be demolished, and the underground 2nd floor will be backfilled after securing groundwater flow passages.

Additionally, to enhance safety, numerous safety facilities such as rockfall prevention walls have been incorporated along the roadside and cultural arts center sections.

The demolition of the old government building is scheduled to be completed by December this year. After demolition, in the first half of next year, the Haenamru stairs connecting the new government building and the residents’ plaza, as well as the interior town fortress maintenance, will be promoted, and the creation of the residents’ plaza will proceed without delay.

County Mayor Myeong Hyun-gwan stated, “Since the start of the 7th elected term marks the beginning of 100 years of hope with residents, we will do our best to improve administrative services for residents who have endured inconveniences. Although it is just the beginning, we will not stop taking steps toward a new leap forward, and we ask for continued interest and participation in county administration, including the creation of the residents’ plaza.”

Haenam=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun kh0424@asiae.co.kr

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