Reopening the Door to Modern History!... Busan City and Korea Customs Service Sign MOU for Restoration and Utilization of Old Busan Customs Office

Agreement Ceremony Between Mayor Park Hyungjun and Korea Customs Service Commissioner at City Hall, 10:30 AM on the 7th

Restoring Historical Value, Maximizing Cultural Tourism Resources, Creating Friendly Spaces

The city of Busan and the Korea Customs Service will sign a memorandum of understanding at 10:30 a.m. on the 7th in the International Protocol Room at Busan City Hall for the restoration and utilization of the former Busan Customs Office building.

The signing ceremony will be attended by Mayor Park Hyungjun and Commissioner Ko Kwanghyo of the Korea Customs Service.

The former Busan Customs Office building, completed in 1911, was a symbolic structure representing Busan as an international trade city alongside the history of Busan Port. However, it was demolished in 1979 due to the construction of the approach road to the Busan Bridge.

Busan Customs Old Building.

Requests for the restoration of the old building had been made in the past, but recently, as the 150th anniversary of the opening of Busan Port approaches, there has been a growing call from citizens to create a landmark facility connecting maritime culture and modern history. In addition, with the redevelopment of North Port, a site has been secured by the Korea Customs Service for restoration, creating a consensus that now is the optimal time for the project.

Through this agreement, both parties will jointly cooperate to restore the historical value of the former Busan Customs Office building, which was designated as a cultural heritage (former cultural property) of Busan, and to maximize its value as a historical, cultural, and tourism resource for the city.

They will actively cooperate in the following areas: ▲Research and studies for authentic restoration and establishing the building’s status as a cultural heritage ▲Creation and operation of a citizen-friendly multi-purpose cultural space after restoration ▲Development and promotion of various content in connection with nearby modern and contemporary cultural heritage sites ▲Other projects to promote the spread of the region’s historical and cultural values.

The restored former Busan Customs Office building will be used as an exhibition hall highlighting the history of Busan Port and the role of the Korea Customs Service, and will be developed into a multipurpose space capable of hosting various cultural events and educational programs.

With a national budget of 15.9 billion KRW, the building will be restored to a total floor area of approximately 1,000 square meters, with two above-ground floors and a four-story spire section. Completion is scheduled for December 2026, with an opening planned around March 2027.

The building will be developed as a major tourist attraction in Busan, not only for its architectural beauty but also for the atmosphere harmonizing with the sea. It is expected to be naturally linked with major landmarks such as the Opera House, Busan Port Pier 1, Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum, and the Provisional Capital Memorial Hall, thereby creating tourism synergy and contributing to revitalizing the local economy.

Location map of the former Busan Customs building to be restored.

Mayor Park Hyungjun stated, "This agreement is very meaningful as it allows us to cooperate with the Korea Customs Service, which safeguards Busan Port, the first gateway into the country. The restoration of the former Busan Customs Office will connect Busan’s past and present and contribute to enhancing the city’s identity and pride. Through this, we will continue to work closely with the Korea Customs Service in various fields so that Busan can be reborn as an even more attractive historical and cultural city."

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