Pohang City Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Long-Awaited 'Integrated Veterans Hall' for Veterans' Families

On the 4th, Pohang City held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Integrated Veterans Hall, a long-cherished wish of veterans' families.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] On the 4th, Pohang City, Gyeongbuk Province, held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Integrated Veterans Hall in Batmeori Village, Sangdo-dong.

About 250 people attended the groundbreaking ceremony, including Pohang Mayor Kangdeok Lee, heads of various organizations, presidents of 12 veterans organizations in Pohang, and veterans' families, celebrating the start of the Integrated Veterans Hall construction.

The ceremony proceeded in the order of a pre-ceremony performance by the Sangdaedong Pungmul Group's Samulnori, introduction of guests, progress report, greetings, congratulatory speeches, groundbreaking performance, and commemorative photo session.

With a total investment of 8 billion KRW including national funds, the Pohang Integrated Veterans Hall will be built on a total area of 2,130㎡ with four floors above ground, featuring a parking lot, offices for 11 veterans organizations, a fitness room, and meeting rooms.

Currently, the city has a veterans hall built in 1989, but due to the building's aging and limited space, it has been impossible for all 12 veterans organizations to move in, continuously raising the need for the construction of an integrated veterans hall. After focusing efforts on site selection and budget securing, the fruit of constructing the integrated veterans hall has finally been realized.

Mayor Kangdeok Lee of Pohang said in his greeting, "We welcome the construction of the integrated veterans hall, which has been a long-cherished wish of veterans' families," and added, "We will continue to strengthen appropriate honors for national merit recipients and their families who have sacrificed and devoted themselves for the country."

In response, Hanwoo Yoon, Chairman of the Pohang Veterans Organizations Council (Chairman of the Gyeongbuk Branch of the Agent Orange Veterans Association), expressed in his welcoming speech, "We thank everyone who supported the construction of the integrated veterans hall in every possible way, especially Mayor Kangdeok Lee for his efforts in securing the construction site and budget," and pledged, "We will use the construction of the veterans hall as an opportunity to advance the local veterans culture to the next level."