50th Anniversary of Gyeongbu Expressway Opening... 'Road Day' Commemoration Ceremony Held

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Expressway Corporation announced on the 7th that they held the '2020 Road Day' commemorative ceremony at 3 p.m. at The-K Hotel in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

Road Day, held annually on July 7, was first established in 1992 to commemorate the opening of the Gyeongbu Expressway 50 years ago in 1970, aiming to boost the pride of road traffic workers and promote the development of the road industry. Since then, a commemorative ceremony has been held every year at the government level.

In particular, this event carried a special meaning as it was held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Gyeongbu Expressway, presenting a new vision under the theme "50 Years of Miracle! 100 Years of Hope!" with a pledge and hope to overcome the difficult economic environment caused by COVID-19 and to make a leap forward again.

The ceremony was attended by 250 people, including Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, Son Myeong-su, 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Kim Jin-suk, President of the Korea Expressway Corporation, executives and employees of road traffic-related companies, and families of awardees. The event was held in compliance with thorough quarantine guidelines, including pre-event disinfection and triple fever checks, as part of social distancing measures.

At the ceremony, government awards and Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport commendations were also presented to 77 individuals who contributed to the development of the road traffic sector.

The highest honor, the Bronze Tower Industrial Medal, was awarded to Park Seok-ju, Standing Advisor of Dongseong Engineering, who has long worked for the development of the road design industry. Advisor Park was recognized for his contributions to expanding the national trunk road network and economic development through his 45 years of experience, including designing over 20 expressways such as the 2nd Yeongdong Expressway and Gochang-Damyang Expressway, as well as participating in the design of more than 60 national and local roads.

Additionally, two individuals including Lee Jeong-yong, Vice President of Sambo Engineering Group, received the Industrial Medal; five individuals including Song Jun-ho, Manager at Ssangyong Construction, received the Presidential Citation; and six individuals including Kim Seok-jin, Manager at Gyeryong Construction Industry, received the Prime Minister's Citation.

Joo Hyun-dong, Director of the Road Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "On the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Gyeongbu Expressway, a symbol of Korea's economic growth, I sincerely thank all road traffic workers who have worked hard both domestically and overseas." He added, "We will lead the 4th Industrial Revolution based on digital roads that integrate road and information communication technologies and strive to create jobs and achieve economic re-leap."