Full-scale Restoration of 5·18 Symbol 'Old Jeonnam Provincial Office' Underway... Project Budget 46.6 Billion KRW

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Increases Project Budget from 25.5 Billion KRW to 46.6 Billion KRW
Design Completion in November, On-site Construction to Begin Next Year

Old Jeonnam Provincial Office building. Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Former Jeonnam Provincial Office Restoration Task Force announced on the 27th that the total project cost for restoring the former Jeonnam Provincial Office has been increased to 46.6 billion KRW, and full-scale construction will begin in March next year.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Economy and Finance has finalized an increase in the total project cost for restoring the former Jeonnam Provincial Office from the previous 25.5 billion KRW to 46.6 billion KRW, an increase of 21.1 billion KRW.

The task force, launched in August 2019, decided in consultation with the Pan-City and Province Citizens' Restoration Committee to secure additional construction costs and new exhibition content expenses necessary for the restoration of the former Jeonnam Provincial Office. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism added that after going through the total project cost adjustment process with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Korea Development Institute (KDI) from September 2020 to June 2022, this budget increase was decided.

Accordingly, the task force plans to complete the restoration design for the six buildings of the former Jeonnam Provincial Office, which had been suspended, by November and start on-site construction next year after going through the construction ordering and bidding processes.

In addition, photos, narratives, videos, and oral testimonies related to the May 18 Democratic Movement will continue to be collected and cross-verified, and an exhibition plan will be prepared and announced in the second half of next year.

The former Jeonnam Provincial Office faced the risk of complete demolition during the construction of the current National Asia Culture Center. However, due to preservation efforts by May 18 organizations and the local community, it remains in its current form with only part of the annex demolished. Since September 2016, preservation and original restoration movements have been carried out mainly by the May Mothers, May 18 merit recipients, and civil society, and in September 2019, the 'Former Jeonnam Provincial Office Restoration Task Force' was established under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote the restoration project.

A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official said, "We are promoting the restoration of the former Jeonnam Provincial Office with the goal of completion in March 2025," adding, "We will develop the former Jeonnam Provincial Office as a space to experience the historical values of democracy, human rights, and peace as the final battleground of the May 18 Democratic Movement, as well as a site for on-site education."

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