Lee Chang-yong, Governor of the Bank of Korea, "Will Lead the Korean Economy with Creativity in the New Building"

Bank of Korea Holds Completion Ceremony for Headquarters New Building and Remodeling

Bank of Korea Governor Lee Chang-yong, former Governors Kim Joong-soo and Lee Ju-yeol, Bank of Korea staff, and construction officials are taking a commemorative photo at the completion ceremony held on the afternoon of the 24th at the Bank of Korea main building auditorium on Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul. (Photo by Moon Je-won)

Lee Chang-yong, Governor of the Bank of Korea, emphasized on the 24th that "the Bank of Korea should no longer be satisfied with being the best think tank domestically" and stated, "the Bank of Korea must lead the Korean economy as an intellectually competitive leader internationally."

Governor Lee made these remarks at the completion ceremony of the Bank of Korea headquarters building in Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, in the afternoon, saying, "I believe it is entirely possible if all of us demonstrate creativity through communication, connection, and sharing in the new building."

On the same day, the Bank of Korea held a completion ceremony to commemorate the conclusion of approximately six years of construction and remodeling of the headquarters building. During the construction period, the Bank of Korea was temporarily housed in the Samsung Main Building on Sejong-daero, but recently returned to the headquarters as the construction was completed.

The completion ceremony was attended by former Bank of Korea Governors Kim Joong-soo and Lee Ju-yeol, Professor Lim Hong-cheol of Yonsei University who is the chairman of the Architectural Management Committee, Lee Seung-chan, chairman of Gyeryong Construction Industry, Kim Jong-hoon, chairman of HanmiGlobal, On Jeong-kwon, representative of Mooyoung CM Architects, and Jung Young-kyun, chairman of Heerim Architects & Planners.

Governor Lee pointed to the central lobby on the first floor as the most symbolic feature of the newly constructed building.

He explained, "This space, where the pathways from each entrance and the building converge and extend up to the second floor by stairs, is widely open and is an ideal place for people to meet and communicate, much like the Agora of ancient Greece."

He continued, "Various meeting and event spaces are arranged around the central lobby," adding, "By utilizing these, it is now possible to hold various events inside the Bank of Korea without going outside, tailored to the nature and scale of the events. Accordingly, the status of the Bank of Korea can be elevated not only domestically but also internationally."

Referring to the daycare center located on the 5th floor of the podium, Governor Lee said, "In our country, which faces low birth rates and aging, this investment for future generations is of even greater significance," and added, "I hope it will be recognized as comparable to any workplace daycare center."

The Bank of Korea decided to fully open to the public the second annex, which was restored this time following the Currency Museum used as the main building until 1987, by transforming it into a visitor center equipped with archives. Governor Lee said, "It will become another place for education and communication," and added, "It is expected to function as a venue for communication with the public in the future, connecting the past, present, and future."

Governor Lee emphasized that, as the issuing bank, the Bank of Korea also paid attention to security and safety. He explained, "From the design stage, the building's flow was divided into open spaces, meeting and event spaces, and workspaces, similar to major advanced central banks," and added, "Seismic, security, and protective functions were enhanced to ensure that the central bank's core functions can operate even in emergencies such as earthquakes, terrorism, and war, and a modernized vault facility was also established."

He added, "Through this project, we have created conditions that enable the central bank to perform its essential robust security and smooth internal and external communication environment efficiently," and said, "This means that we have built a physical foundation to prepare not only for the present but also for the future."

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