Busan Gijang-gun, Groundbreaking Ceremony for ‘Seoul Joint Dormitory’ for University Students from Nuclear Power Plant Area

Full-Scale Launch of Construction Project

Busan Gijang-gun announced on the 17th that the "Joint Dormitory Construction Project" for the residential welfare of university students from Gijang-gun and other nuclear power plant areas has held a groundbreaking ceremony and will be actively promoted.

Jeong Jong-bok, Gijang County Governor (4th from the left), is attending and conducting the ceremony at the groundbreaking event for the joint dormitory.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place on the 17th at the dormitory construction site (Shingye-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul).

Attendees included Jeong Jong-bok, the head of Gijang-gun, local government heads from nuclear power plant areas, National Assembly members Jeong Dong-man and Kim Seok-ki, Hwang Ju-ho, President of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Lim Jong-il, Vice President of the Korea National Railway Corporation, officials from public institutions, presidents of 10 universities in the Seoul area, and government officials from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. They celebrated the dormitory groundbreaking and wished for a safe and smooth construction process.

This joint dormitory for university students is a project built through cooperation among the national government, public institutions, and local governments. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport provides state-owned land (railway land) free of charge, and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power along with nuclear power plant local governments (Gijang-gun, Gyeongju-si, Ulju-gun, Yeonggwang-gun) support construction costs totaling 46 billion KRW, of which Gijang-gun bears 12.5 billion KRW. The dormitory is scheduled to be completed by the first semester of 2026, and the Korea Student Aid Foundation will be responsible for its construction and operation.

The dormitory will have a total floor area of 12,000 square meters, with three basement floors and 15 above-ground floors, accommodating about 600 people. Approximately 500 university students from the four nuclear power plant local governments will reside there, with Gijang-gun expected to be allocated about 140 residents.

The dormitory will include shared kitchens and community rooms for resident students to enhance their living convenience. Additionally, facilities such as a futsal field, meeting rooms, and mentoring spaces will be provided, making it a complex facility that coexists with local residents.

In particular, the dormitory fee will be in the range of 100,000 KRW per month, which is much cheaper compared to one-room apartments near universities or university dormitory fees, significantly reducing the housing cost burden for students advancing to Seoul.

Jeong Jong-bok, the head of Gijang-gun, said, "With the construction of the joint university dormitory, we hope that young people from Gijang-gun will be relieved of the economic burden of housing costs and focus on their studies to freely pursue their dreams. Furthermore, it would be most gratifying if talented individuals who have built their skills return and contribute to regional development."