Groundbreaking of National Incheon Maritime Museum in Wolmido... Targeting Opening in 2024

Aerial view of the National Incheon Maritime Museum [Provided by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The Incheon Maritime Museum, the first national maritime cultural facility in the Seoul metropolitan area, has officially begun construction with the goal of opening in 2024.

On the 10th, Incheon City and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries held a groundbreaking ceremony for the National Incheon Maritime Museum at the Wolmido lock reclamation site in Jung-gu, attended by Incheon Mayor Park Namchun, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Moon Seonghyeok, and People Power Party lawmaker Bae Junyoung.

The museum is being built by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries with a total project cost of 106.7 billion KRW. It will be a four-story building above ground with a total floor area of 17,318㎡, scheduled for completion by the end of 2023 and opening in 2024.

The exterior architecture of the museum features a curved design that connects the ridgeline of Wolmisan Mountain and the waves of the sea, embodying a vibrant maritime image.

The interior will consist of a large auditorium, permanent and special exhibition spaces, storage rooms, and visitor rest areas, designed to allow visitors to enjoy views of the beautiful West Sea during their visit.

The museum plans to operate exhibition halls under the theme "Sea of Exchange, Beginning of Connection," symbolizing the connection of the sea’s past and present, East and West, space and time.

Exhibition halls include the "Maritime Exchange History" (Connecting Time), which introduces the history of maritime exchange from prehistoric times to the present; the "Shipping and Port Hall" (Connecting the World), showcasing the present and future of shipping and ports; the "Maritime Culture Hall" (Connecting Life), depicting life living with the sea; and a "Special Exhibition Hall" for maritime-related special exhibitions.

In particular, the museum will display various maritime stories of the West Sea, including maritime folklore reflecting the characteristics of Incheon’s islands, the Yeongheungdo ship?the oldest trading ship in Korea, the Jooan salt field?the origin of Korea’s first solar salt, and the history of the modern Incheon Port lock.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries expects the museum’s construction to generate approximately 1,197 jobs and about 990 jobs after operations begin. Annual visitors are projected to be around 1.2 million (about 4,000 daily).

Mayor Park Namchun said, "When the Incheon Maritime Museum opens in 2024, it will establish itself as a representative maritime cultural facility that connects Korea’s past and present, time and space through the sea," adding, "We will do our best to provide policy support so that the museum can open without any setbacks."

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