Ulsan City Holds 'Jongha Innovation Center Completion Ceremony'

7 Il Juyong, Chairman of KCC Information & Communication Co., Ltd., Receives Plaque of Appreciation

Rebirth of a Complex Space Encompassing Sports, Culture, Education, and Startups

Ulsan City will hold the 'Jongha Innovation Center Completion Ceremony' at 3 p.m. on the 7th at the Jongha Innovation Center in Sinjeong-dong, Nam-gu.

The completion ceremony will be attended by about 240 people, including Ulsan Mayor Kim Doo-gyeom, Lee Ju-yong, Chairman of KCC Information & Communication Co., Ltd., and citizens, and will proceed with a ribbon-cutting, video viewing, progress report, and facility tour.

Ulsan City will present a 'Plaque of Appreciation' expressing the gratitude of the people of Ulsan for Chairman Lee's generous donation passed down through generations.

In addition, honorary citizenship certificates will be presented to Lee Sang-hyun, Vice Chairman of KCC Information & Communication Co., Ltd., and Lee Sang-hoon, CEO of SysOne, who provided great cooperation and support during the construction process of the Jongha Innovation Center.

Furthermore, plaques of appreciation will be given to Lee Chae-ik, Chairman of the Korea Shipping Association (former National Assembly member for Nam-gu Gap), who played a pivotal role in the decision to donate for the construction of the Jongha Innovation Center, and to Ahn Soo-il, member of the Ulsan City Council, who actively cooperated in promoting the construction project.

The Jongha Innovation Center was promoted for construction when the Ulsan Jongha Gymnasium, built 45 years ago through a donation by the late Mr. Lee Jong-ha, became outdated, and Lee Ju-yong, the eldest son of Mr. Lee Jong-ha and Chairman of KCC Information & Communication, decided to make a generous donation passed down through generations.

The total project cost was 53.2 billion KRW. Chairman Lee donated 33 billion KRW to build a building with one basement floor, six above-ground floors, and a total floor area of 19,905㎡, and Ulsan City will complete the interior and facility-specific equipment construction by investing 1 billion KRW in national funds and 19.2 billion KRW in city funds.

Once the interior construction is completed, the main facilities will sequentially open from January to March next year, reborn as a complex space that can be used by a wide range of people from children to youth and adults.

Main facilities include coding and software education spaces for nurturing future global innovative talents, startup spaces and youth support centers for youth support, and children's and youth libraries and Jongha Gymnasium where diverse cultural and sports activities can be enjoyed.

Mayor Kim Doo-gyeom said, "We will do our best to honor the spirit of donation and transform it into a cultural, sports, education, and startup complex space where the future generation, who will be the main actors of Ulsan, can enjoy, learn, and realize their dreams."

The existing Jongha Gymnasium was built with 12,740㎡ of land in Sinjeong-dong, Nam-gu, donated by the late Mr. Lee Jong-ha, father of Chairman Lee Ju-yong, and the construction cost of 13 million KRW at that time.

It was completed in September 1977 with a total area of 2,563㎡ and 1,200 seats, and has been loved as an indoor sports facility and multipurpose facility for Ulsan citizens.