Busan City Launches Full-Scale Construction of 'Minju Park Annex Archive'... Establishing a 'Democracy Cluster'

Construction to Begin in March, Scheduled for Completion in November 2024

Feed Collection, Preservation, Management, and Research Functions Provide Citizen Experience and Rest

Busan City has officially commenced construction for the ‘Busan Democracy Park Annex Archive’ (hereinafter referred to as the Archive).

The Archive project, aimed at the systematic preservation, exhibition, research, and education of democratization movement materials, began with securing national funding in 2020. After more than two years of administrative procedures, construction started in March of this year.

Bird's-eye view of the 'Busan Democracy Park Annex Archive'.

With a project budget of 15.8 billion KRW (6.9 billion KRW from the national government and 8.9 billion KRW from the city), the Archive will be built within Jungang Park in Dongdaesin-dong, Seo-gu, consisting of two underground floors and three above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 2,191.10㎡. It is scheduled for completion in November 2024.

The Archive will be equipped with specialized preservation facilities such as a preservation storage room, preservation treatment room, and audiovisual storage to safely preserve and manage over 56,000 democratization movement materials currently held within Democracy Park.

Notably, the first basement floor will introduce a ‘Visible Storage’ that houses and simultaneously exhibits approximately 1,000 pieces of popular art, one of the largest collections nationwide.

Additionally, the second floor above ground will feature an exhibition hall and an experiential education center to allow visitors to engage with the democratization movement materials in a more approachable and vivid manner.

Once completed, the Archive will systematically manage materials related to the Busan democratization movement, preserving their historical value and providing access to many citizens and researchers for academic research and democratic civic education.

Together with Democracy Park’s exhibitions, performances, and cultural programs, the Archive will also function as a regional complex cultural space where citizens can comfortably visit anytime to enjoy leisure and relaxation.

Lee Su-il, Director of the Administrative Autonomy Bureau, stated, “The Archive will play a role in recording the memories of past democratization movements and sharing them with future generations, allowing the values of democracy to naturally permeate.” He added, “We will do our best to establish a democracy cluster along with Democracy Park to further solidify Busan’s status as the ‘Holy Land of Democratization!’ We ask for citizens’ understanding as some inconveniences may occur during the construction period.”