Total project cost of 290 billion won; building to span 58,809 square meters across four above-ground floors and one below-ground floor

HJ consortium proposes ground-breaking in September, with construction completion in October 2030

A rendering of BEXCO's third exhibition hall. [Busan city government]
A rendering of BEXCO's third exhibition hall. [Busan city government]

Busan's construction headquarters announced Friday that the HJ Heavy Industries consortium has been selected as the qualified bidder for the detailed design of the BEXCO Third Exhibition Hall construction project.

The project, with a total cost of 290 billion won ($187 million), will erect a building with a total floor area of 58,809 square meters — spanning one below-ground floor and four above-ground floors — on the outdoor parking lot site at BEXCO's first exhibition hall in Udo-dong, Haeundae-gu. The consortium includes HJ Heavy Industries, Gyeryong Construction Industrial, Dongwon Development, Taelim General Construction and Onlife Construction.

The third exhibition hall project began its basic design phase in July 2023 and completed it in December 2024. The city announced the tender in November 2025 following administrative procedures, including a review of the bidding method for large-scale construction. The selected HJ Heavy Industries consortium has proposed a construction period of 50 months, with priority works set to begin in September and full completion targeted for around October 2030.

The project will use a fast-track method, under which priority works break ground first while the detailed design for the main construction proceeds in parallel, with the main works following sequentially once the design is finalized. Once completed, the third exhibition hall is expected to ease capacity saturation at existing venues and strengthen Busan's competitiveness in attracting international conventions by creating an exhibition and convention center aligned with global trends in the MICE industry.

Meanwhile, two consortiums competed in the tender — the HJ Heavy Industries consortium and one led by Namkwang Engineering & Construction. The bidding method, known as a basic-design technical proposal tender, requires bidders to review the basic design documents issued by the contracting authority and submit technical proposals covering construction method improvements, project management plans, schedule reductions and cost savings alongside their bids. It is a procurement approach used for large-scale projects requiring advanced technical expertise, including symbolic and artistic elements.

The city submitted its evaluation of the technical proposals to the Public Procurement Service following a technical review in June, and the procurement agency finalized the selection of the qualified bidder Friday after factoring in bid price scores. The city said it will continue coordinating with BEXCO to carry out construction in phases, minimizing any impact on the operation of the existing first exhibition hall and other facilities.

"We will build an exhibition and convention center that meets the demands of the times and elevate Busan's standing as an international tourism city," said Kim Hyo-suk, head of the city's construction headquarters. "We will establish a thorough construction management plan to ensure there is no disruption to the operation of the existing exhibition halls."


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com