Ministry of Science and ICT Announces 5 Local Governments Selected for This Year's Projects
20 Billion KRW Support Aimed for Opening by 2023
Incheon Children's Science Museum. Archive photo. Not related to the article.
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] New children's science experience spaces will be established in five locations: Gumi-si in Gyeongbuk, Haenam-gun in Jeonnam, Namwon-si in Jeonbuk, Gwangmyeong-si in Gyeonggi, and Taean-gun in Chungnam.
On the 7th, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it has newly selected five basic local governments to create new children's science experience spaces so that children, the future generation, can encounter science close to their daily lives and nurture their dreams.
Each of these five local governments will receive a total of 2 billion KRW (1 billion KRW from the national government and 1 billion KRW from local funds), and the project is scheduled to open in 2023.
The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to create spaces focused on play and experience tailored to the perspectives of infants and young children, unlike existing exhibition-centered science museums. In particular, these will be complex facilities linked with other cultural facilities such as libraries and museums near densely populated residential areas and tourist complexes to improve accessibility and enable various experiences in one space.
The project to create children's science experience spaces in basic local governments started last year. Five locations have already been selected and are under development: Samcheok-si in Gangwon, Siheung-si in Gyeonggi, Jung-gu in Ulsan, Sunchang-gun in Jeonbuk, and Chungju-si in Chungbuk.
Gumi-si in Gyeongbuk plans to develop experiential content themed around the region's specialized industry of electrical and electronic fields, and will link with the ‘Gumi Yangpo Municipal Library’ so that children can study reading and science experiences in one space.
In Haenam-gun, Jeonnam, experiential content themed around dinosaurs will be developed in Uhwang-ri, where dinosaur footprints were first discovered in Honam. The existing outdated bird experience center will be remodeled into a children's dinosaur ecological experience space.
Namwon-si in Jeonbuk will remodel the old commercial facilities of the cultural heritage site Gwanghallu Garden to create a sensory playground stimulating the five senses and a creative playground using drones and VR, making it available alongside other tourist facilities such as Chunhyang Theme Park.
Gwangmyeong-si in Gyeonggi will create an experience space themed around ‘mobility’ including trains (KTX) and automobiles inside the ‘Gwangmyeong-dong Elementary School Complex Community Center,’ which is being built as part of an urban regeneration project.
In Taean-gun, Chungnam, an experience space themed on the marine industry reflecting the characteristics of the West Coast will be created within the existing ‘Family Complex Community Center’ under construction, allowing the whole family to enjoy various cultural services in one building.
Kang Sang-wook, Director of the Future Talent Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, “With increasing public interest and understanding of science and technology due to COVID-19 and global climate change, the demand for creating local children's science experience spaces is also growing.” He added, “We hope to continuously expand children's science experience spaces so that children, the future generation, can nurture their dreams as science talents through play and experience, and that parents' childcare burdens can be reduced.”
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