Wando-gun Finalized as the Site for the Construction of the National Maritime Fisheries Museum

124.5 Billion KRW National Funding Invested...
Large-Scale Complex Marine Cultural Facility for Experience, Research, and Education on Marine Resources, History, and Culture

Perspective view of the National Maritime and Fisheries Museum to be established in Wando-gun (Photo by Wando-gun)

[Wando=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyungpil] On the 17th, Jeonnam Wando-gun announced that after fierce competition, it was finally selected as the site for the construction of the National Marine Fisheries Museum, a large-scale complex marine cultural facility with an investment of 124.5 billion won, located in Jangjwa-ri, Wando-eup.

The National Marine Fisheries Museum will be a facility covering a total area of 43,000㎡, exhibiting marine and fisheries resources, marine history, marine culture, and providing opportunities for experience, research, and education.

Seven cities and counties in Jeonnam participated in the bid to host the museum, and presentations and evaluations by each city and county were conducted on the 14th. Wando-gun Governor Shin Woo-cheol personally explained the uniqueness of the clean sea of Wando, project promotion conditions, suitability of the location, linkage with marine and fisheries resources, artifact acquisition, and the willingness of local residents to cooperate.

Through the presentation evaluation, Wando-gun, Shinan-gun, and Boseong-gun were shortlisted as candidate sites, and on the 15th, an on-site inspection was conducted.

According to Jeonnam Province, an 11-member expert committee was formed from outside the Gwangju-Jeonnam region, including specialists in urban planning, architecture and landscaping, tourism, and marine fisheries. Based on the requirements for the construction site, suitability of the location, regional development potential, and the status of marine and fisheries resources, the on-site inspection results evaluated Wando-gun as the most suitable final candidate site.

Wando is a treasure trove of marine ecosystems inhabited by over 2,200 species of marine life, the largest seafood production area in the country, and a place with historical significance as the home of Korea’s representative marine heroes such as Admiral Jang Bogo and General Yi Sun-sin. It is also leading future marine industries such as marine healing and marine bio-industry.

Accordingly, since the inauguration of the county-wide promotion committee for the museum bid and the policy forum held on September 27, the county has actively carried out 12 town and township resident briefings, SNS relay campaigns, and signature drives, putting all efforts into securing the museum. An impressive 185,000 people participated in the signature campaign supporting the museum bid.

The National Marine Fisheries Museum is expected to greatly contribute to the development of Wando tourism by providing the public with various attractions and enjoyable experiences through exhibitions, hands-on activities, and education in the marine and fisheries fields.

Once the museum is built, the county plans to establish a tourism network by linking it with nearby tourist resources such as the Jangdo Cheonghaejin Historic Site, the Jang Bogo statue and memorial hall, Wando Arboretum (the site of the National Subtropical Arboretum), the Marine Healing Center, and Wando Tower.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to complete the basic plan and feasibility study by April 2023, followed by selection and review of the preliminary feasibility study project, with construction starting in 2024 and the museum scheduled to be completed in 2026.

Wando-gun Governor Shin Woo-cheol said, “I would like to express my gratitude to the 50,000 county residents and 300,000 compatriots who gave full support for the National Marine Fisheries Museum to be hosted in our Wando. We will enjoy the value of Wando’s marine and fisheries history, culture, and resources, and by linking it with local tourism, we will work with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and Jeollanam-do to ensure the museum is built without any setbacks, establishing our county as a representative marine city of Korea.”

Wando=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyungpil alwatros@asiae.co.kr

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