'Incheon Museum Park' Passes Government Investment Review... Spotlight on Attracting Lee Kun-hee Art Museum

Incheon Museum Park Bird's-eye View [Provided by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The construction project of 'Incheon Museum Park,' the nation's first complex cultural facility combining art museums, museums, and parks, has passed the government investment review, gaining momentum.

According to Incheon City on the 7th, the Museum Park development project to be built on the site of the Michuhol-gu Yonghyeon·Hakik 1-block urban development project (42,000㎡) has passed the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's local finance central investment review.

By 2025, 201.4 billion KRW in project costs, including national and city funds, will be invested in Incheon Museum Park, which will house the Incheon City Museum, Incheon City Art Museum, parks, and other complex cultural facilities.

Incheon is the only metropolitan city nationwide without a city art museum. The Incheon City Art Hall, the first art museum in a local city, was opened in 1946 but was closed during the chaos of the liberation period, and since then, Incheon has not had a city art museum.

Since 2000, Incheon City has been promoting the construction of a city art museum but faced difficulties securing a site due to financial conditions. Eventually, it was decided to build the museum on the social contribution site within the Michuhol-gu Yonghyeon·Hakik 1-block urban development project, donated by OCI (formerly Dongyang Steel Chemical).

The city also plans to relocate and expand the city museum currently located in Okryeon-dong, Yeonsu-gu, to a new building within the Museum Park.

Incheon City expects that once the Museum Park is built, it will become a cultural and artistic landmark of Incheon and help bridge cultural gaps between regions.

Additionally, according to a feasibility study on Incheon Museum Park conducted last year by the Korea Institute of Public Administration, the economic effects in the Incheon area are analyzed to generate 211.4 billion KRW in production inducement, 93 billion KRW in added value inducement, and 1,765 jobs.

The city plans to complete the basic and detailed design services by May next year, start construction in June next year, and open the Museum Park in December 2025.

Mayor Park Namchun stated, "We will do our best to ensure that the Museum Park establishes itself as a cultural landmark and anchor facility in Incheon, revitalizes the old downtown economy, and creates jobs."

Meanwhile, with the government review approval accelerating the project, attention is also focused on the possibility of attracting the late Lee Kun-hee Art Museum.

On the 21st of last month, Incheon City proposed to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism the plan to build the Lee Kun-hee Art Museum within the private investment site of the Museum Park to maximize synergy effects of the cultural complex facility.

Currently, more than 20 locations, including Busan, Daegu, Yongsan-gu in Seoul, Suwon, Gwacheon, Osan, Uijeongbu in Gyeonggi Province, Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province, Jinju and Uiryeong-gun in South Gyeongsang Province, and the South Coast Central Development Council, are competing to attract the Lee Kun-hee Art Museum. The planned site is expected to be announced around mid-month.