Open Auction Hall and Bleak Eaves to Disappear... Busan Joint Fish Market Modernization Project Begins in Earnest

Busan City Signs Contract with HJ Heavy Industries & Construction Consortium

The traditional Busan Joint Fish Market, once known for its bleak scenery of an open auction hall beneath its old eaves, is set to become a part of history and be reborn with a new face.

On November 10, the city of Busan (Mayor Park Hyungjoon) announced that it had signed a construction contract for the modernization project of the Busan Joint Fish Market, the largest seafood wholesale market in Korea, with the HJ Heavy Industries & Construction consortium. This marks the full-scale launch of a long-awaited project that had been delayed for over a decade.

The city received the final design documents from the HJ Heavy Industries & Construction consortium, which had been selected as the preferred bidder through a technical proposal bidding process in July, on October 17. The official contract was finalized on this day through the Public Procurement Service. After obtaining the necessary permits at the end of the year, full-scale construction will begin, with completion targeted for 2029.

Since its opening in 1973, the Busan Joint Fish Market has served as the center of Busan's seafood industry for half a century. Through this modernization project, the outdated facilities and open auction hall will be improved, transforming the market into a modern seafood distribution hub equipped with advanced logistics systems such as an enclosed low-temperature auction hall and automatic sorting machines.

The project will invest a total of 241.2 billion won (165.5 billion won from the national government, 49.9 billion won from the city, and 25.8 billion won from the market itself) to create a facility with a total floor area of 61,971 square meters. The market will be reborn as a safe and efficient facility with one basement level and five above-ground floors.

The differences in opinion with the market side, which had been the main cause of delays, have also been resolved. Since August, the city has operated a "Design Document Supplement Council" for one month, reflecting key requirements such as widening the auction hall and adjusting the spacing between columns. As a result, a final agreement that ensures both efficiency and practicality was reached, paving the way for groundbreaking within the year.

The construction will be carried out in three phases, focusing on maintaining auction operations. Phase 1 covers the right main building and breakwater; Phase 2 covers the work facilities and central auction hall; and Phase 3 covers the left main building and breakwater. Construction will be minimized during the peak season from October to March, when auction volumes are highest. Even during the construction period, about 60 to 70 percent of the auction hall area will remain available for use, with the remainder operated as an alternative auction hall utilizing idle land.

Park Hyungjoon, Mayor of Busan, emphasized, "This construction contract marks a historic moment that opens the future of Busan's seafood industry," adding, "With unwavering commitment to the project, we will develop the Busan Joint Fish Market into the center of seafood distribution innovation in Korea and a global seafood hub."

Perspective view of Busan Joint Fish Market.

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