City says old building lacks heritage value, demolition to proceed

Demolition work is underway on housing incorporated into the new Suncheon City Hall site in Jangcheon-dong in March 2022. [Herald DB]
Demolition work is underway on housing incorporated into the new Suncheon City Hall site in Jangcheon-dong in March 2022. [Herald DB]
The current Suncheon City Hall building in Jangcheon-dong is set to be demolished starting in December. [Provided by Suncheon City]
The current Suncheon City Hall building in Jangcheon-dong is set to be demolished starting in December. [Provided by Suncheon City]

Construction on Suncheon's new city hall in South Jeolla Province is nearing completion, with departments set to begin moving in sequentially from mid-October.

According to the city, a preliminary completion inspection was recently conducted at the new Jangcheon-dong facility, with 57 participants from relevant departments, the construction management team and the contractor.

The inspection covered the interior and exterior finishing of the new building as well as the normal operation of key systems including electrical, mechanical, fire safety and communications. Any deficiencies identified are to be addressed before the final completion sign-off.

The new complex was built at a cost of 216.5 billion won ($156 million) on a site of approximately 26,000 square meters, with a total floor area of about 47,000 square meters. It comprises four buildings of up to six above-ground floors and one below-ground floor, along with a legislative wing and a "Culture Station" — a government-funded public infrastructure project — bringing the total to six low-rise structures.

With construction complete, departments will begin moving in from mid-October and the process is expected to finish by the end of November, at which point formal handover of the facilities will also get underway.

Plans in the early design phase called for a cafe, restaurant and convenience store in the new building, but those were dropped in favor of a minimal set of amenities — a staff cafeteria, a workplace daycare center and a bank — to avoid competing with nearby businesses.

The distinctive green-clad building was selected through a design competition in 2020 under then-Mayor Heo Seok. His successor, Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu, held a groundbreaking ceremony on Dec. 22, 2023, on a site adjacent to the existing city hall, after the conclusion of the Garden Expo.

Once the new city hall and legislative wing are occupied, demolition of the existing building will begin in December. A second phase of construction — covering the creation of a grass-covered central park and an underground parking lot — is scheduled for completion by October next year.

The existing Suncheon City Hall was built in 1969 and expanded in 1979. The city has decided to demolish it on the grounds that it holds little value as a modern cultural heritage structure.

Mayor Son Hun-mo said the city would work closely with the contractor and supervision team to keep subsequent construction on track while minimizing inconvenience to visitors during the move-in period.

The new Suncheon City Hall, distinguished by its green exterior, is set to open for occupancy upon completion in October.
The new Suncheon City Hall, distinguished by its green exterior, is set to open for occupancy upon completion in October.

parkds@heraldcorp.com