'Lee Kun-hee Donation Hall', Songhyeon-dong Construction Finally Confirmed

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The 'Lee Kun-hee Donation Hall,' which will store the 23,000 donated items left by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee, has been finally confirmed to be located on the site in Songhyeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 9th that the 'National Donation Lee Kun-hee Collection Utilization Committee' reviewed two candidate sites for the 'Lee Kun-hee Donation Hall'?Yongsan and Songhyeon-dong?from July and finalized Songhyeon-dong as the construction site after deliberation and resolution.

The Songhyeon-dong site covers an area of 37,141.6㎡ around 48-9, Jongno-gu. Of this, 9,787㎡ will be used for the construction of the donation hall, with the remainder developed as a park. The total floor area of the donation hall is planned to be 30,000㎡. A preliminary feasibility study will be conducted this month, and an international design competition process will be initiated in the second half of next year. After design and construction, it is scheduled to be completed and opened in 2027.

The Songhyeon-dong site was selected as the optimal location for the donation hall due to its abundant surrounding cultural facility infrastructure and easy geographical accessibility. Within a 10-minute walking distance from the Songhyeon-dong land, more than 20 museums and art galleries are concentrated. Cultural and tourism infrastructure such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, and Insadong is well developed, which is expected to have a significant effect on attracting domestic and international visitors. Additionally, since the nearby site of the donation hall is planned to be developed as an urban green park, various cultural activities linked with the park will be possible. It is also managed as a historical and cultural specialized scenic district and a height restriction zone, which is considered an advantage due to its excellent views.

The Songhyeon-dong site also received high scores in the Analytic Hierarchy Process conducted through a survey of expert groups. The evaluation, which weighted six items in order of 'sense of place,' 'connection to culture and arts,' 'accessibility,' 'site utilization,' and 'landscape and view,' concluded that it was more suitable than the Yongsan site.

Moreover, the Yongsan site is designated as a park district, resulting in a low building coverage ratio (20%) and floor area ratio (50%), which limits the usable building area. Additionally, to ensure smooth access, additional land for an entrance road must be purchased, which is a disadvantage. The Songhyeon-dong site has a building coverage ratio of 60% and a floor area ratio of 150%.

Aerial view of the site in Songhyeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

However, the ownership of the Songhyeon-dong site has not yet been finalized. Currently, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is in the process of transferring ownership. This land was previously used as housing for U.S. Embassy staff and was sold to Samsung Life Insurance in 1997. In 2008, Korean Air purchased the site and attempted to build a Hanok hotel, but the project was blocked by regulations. In August, Korean Air reached a tripartite agreement with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) to exchange the Songhyeon-dong site for the southern site of Seoul Medical Center.

Once the ownership of the Songhyeon-dong site is fully transferred to Seoul City, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will acquire the donation hall construction site by providing national property and exchanging land. The Ministry and Seoul City plan to work together to establish reasonable plans through consultations when deciding on urban planning facilities for the donation hall site and the adjacent park. A separate preparatory team will be formed in the future to discuss and promote detailed matters necessary for the construction of the donation hall. The Ministry and Seoul City are scheduled to sign a 'Memorandum of Understanding for the Construction of the Lee Kun-hee Donation Hall' on the 10th.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hwang Hee said, "The selection of the construction site and the agreement with Seoul City mark an important milestone in the journey to build the donation hall." He added, "Since there has been significant interest in building donation halls in local regions, we will create cultural facility hubs in regions such as Gyeongsang, Honam, and Chungcheong, and establish a 'museum and art gallery cooperation system (network museum)' where various collaborations and cultural activities take place centered on these hubs."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated, "Songhyeon-dong is the optimal site for the donation hall as it is adjacent to Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul Museum of Craft Art, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, as well as Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Bukchon, and Insadong." He added, "Through the construction of the donation hall, the Gwanghwamun area will develop into a world-class historical, cultural, and tourism belt, and Seoul will take a leap forward as one of the world's top five cultural and tourism cities."

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