29 Trillion Investment in Aging School Improvements... Relief for Construction Material Industry

Promotion of School Facility Environment Improvement Project
Enhancement of Safety Including Fire Prevention
Expected Beneficiaries: KCC, LX Hausys, Byeoksan, etc.

Construction material (geomaterial) companies struggling due to the domestic real estate market slump will find relief through improvement projects in elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide. The Ministry of Education is investing 29 trillion won in this project. To replace aging facilities and enhance safety, insulation materials and windows will be replaced, which is expected to benefit geomaterial companies.

According to the Ministry of Education on the 23rd, a five-year plan for school facility environment improvement will be implemented from this year until 2028. The plan allocates a total of 29 trillion won for educational environment improvement projects, with 18.5959 trillion won designated for facility performance maintenance. As of last year, schools over 40 years old accounted for 7,770 buildings, representing 23.3% of the total.

A school official is inspecting the classroom environment. (Photo by Asia Economy DB)

Specifically, 4.8063 trillion won has been allocated for safety enhancement. This project includes seismic reinforcement, asbestos removal, and maintenance of facilities such as sandwich panels and dryvit. Additionally, 9.4843 trillion won is allocated for performance improvement, which involves upgrading exterior walls, windows, and interior finishes.

In particular, since this improvement project primarily aims to strengthen safety measures such as fire prevention, leading domestic geomaterial companies like KCC, LX Hausys, and Byeoksan are expected to benefit. Construction materials like sandwich panels must be fire-resistant and, even if they burn, should not emit toxic gases. These companies are recognized as having the most advanced technology in Korea in this field.

One construction material used to minimize damage caused by building fires is the inorganic insulation material called 'Glass Wool.' Glass Wool is made by melting glass raw materials such as silica sand at high temperatures to create inorganic fibers in wool form, which are then used in rolls, boards, and panels. Unlike organic insulation materials made from petrochemical raw materials, it does not emit pollutants and is highly rated for its insulation and non-combustibility. KCC and Byeoksan are considered the top companies in Korea for Glass Wool-related equipment and technology. Both companies expanded their inorganic insulation material production facilities last year.

KCC fireproof thermal insulation materials Serak Wool, Glass Wool, Mineral Wool. (Photo by KCC)

Windows are also recommended to use high-insulation products to improve energy efficiency. LX Hausys offers the high-insulation window series ‘LX Z:IN Window Super Save.’ This product enhances the basic window performance of insulation, shielding, and airtightness, satisfying the highest energy consumption efficiency grade 1 when installed as double-glazed windows. KCC Glass offers products such as ‘HomeCC Window.’

The geomaterial industry, which has been struggling due to the prolonged slump in the real estate market, views this Ministry of Education project as a much-needed relief. An industry official explained, "The real estate market outlook is not bright this year either, so difficulties in the geomaterial industry are expected," adding, "With the government launching maintenance projects worth tens of trillions of won, not only small and medium geomaterial companies but also large corporations are expected to benefit to some extent."

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