The Nation's Second National Maritime and Fisheries Museum Opens in Wando

Competition Among 7 Cities and Counties to Host... Jangjwa-ri, Wando-eup Finally Selected

Expectations for Expanded Marine Fisheries Culture Enjoyment and Maximized Local Tourism Effects

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The National Maritime and Fisheries Museum, a complex maritime cultural facility that exhibits, educates, and researches the maritime and fisheries history, culture, and marine ecosystem of Jeonnam, will be established in Wando-gun.

On the 17th, Jeonnam Province announced that the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries selected Wando-gun (Jangjwa-ri, Wando-eup) as the site for the National Maritime and Fisheries Museum, which will be built in Jeonnam with a budget of 124.5 billion KRW.

So far, the Gwangju-Jeonnam Research Institute and Chosun University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, which led the site selection project for the museum, formed an evaluation index selection committee in advance and finalized the evaluation criteria through briefings with cities and counties.

Additionally, a site selection committee was formed with 11 experts from various fields including urban planning, architecture, landscaping, tourism, and maritime fisheries, located in other regions.

The selection evaluation was conducted objectively and fairly by excluding experts active in the Gwangju-Jeonnam area from the committee.

Seven cities and counties in Jeonnam participated in the bid to host the National Maritime and Fisheries Museum. On the 14th, three cities and counties (Boseong-gun, Sinan-gun, Wando-gun) were selected through presentations and evaluations by each city and county, and on the 15th, a site inspection evaluated Wando-gun as the most suitable final candidate based on site requirements, location suitability, regional development potential, and current status of maritime and fisheries resources.

The construction of the National Maritime and Fisheries Museum is a key policy and pledge project of the 8th Jeonnam Provincial Government.

This large-scale project aims to expand opportunities for the public to enjoy maritime and fisheries culture and maximize regional tourism effects by establishing the museum in Jeonnam, which holds the nation’s largest marine ecological resources and maritime history, culture, and fisheries resources.

The facility will cover a total area of 43,000㎡ and include exhibition halls, experience centers, research facilities, and educational halls as a complex maritime cultural facility.

It will be designed as a space to exhibit Jeonnam’s maritime and fisheries artifacts, maritime history and culture, aquaculture, marine environment, and marine ecosystems.

Equipped with lecture rooms and seminar rooms for maritime education and cultural research activities, it is expected to become a maritime and fisheries cultural venue where various generations can participate and empathize.

In particular, the Wando site is near the Wando Cheonghaejin historic site, and it is expected to contribute to re-examining and promoting the historical significance of Admiral Jang Bogo by linking with Jang Bogo Park and Memorial Hall in the future.

Based on the selected site, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to complete the basic plan and feasibility study by April 2023, then proceed with the selection and review of the preliminary feasibility study project, and start full-scale construction from 2024.

The goal is to complete all construction and open the museum by 2026.

Choi Jeong-gi, Director of the Jeonnam Provincial Maritime and Fisheries Bureau, said, “The National Maritime and Fisheries Museum will provide diverse maritime and fisheries cultural experiences to residents and the public and greatly contribute to nurturing future maritime and fisheries talents,” adding, “We will establish an organic cooperation system with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to ensure the project proceeds smoothly.”

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