Gumico Approved for Use Change After 14 Years... New Start as a Complex Cultural Space

Transition from Industrial Facility to Neighborhood Living Facility
Cultural, Artistic, and Sales Events Now Permitted

Gumi City, Gyeongbuk (Gumi Convention Center) has received approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for a long-awaited change of building use 14 years after its opening. Accordingly, GumiCo will change from an industrial facility to a support facility (neighborhood living facility), enabling various cultural and artistic events as well as sales activities.

According to Gumi on the 11th, GumiCo was originally an industrial facility built on industrial land, and its operation had many restrictions due to the issue of use change that did not align with the purpose of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s support projects. In addition, a development charge amounting to 20 billion KRW had been an obstacle, causing continuous delays in the use change. Gumi City had continuously pushed for the use change but repeatedly failed due to practical limitations.

However, Assemblyman Gu Ja-geun, a member of the National Assembly’s Industry, Trade, Small and Medium Enterprises Committee, recognized the operational difficulties of GumiCo and pushed for a legal amendment despite opposition from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. As a result, a clause allowing "exemption from development charges for projects promoted by local governments" was newly established and officially implemented after being published in the official gazette on January 22. Accordingly, GumiCo was able to resolve the development charge issue and complete the use change.

With this approval of the use change, GumiCo has created an opportunity to establish itself as a complex cultural space beyond a simple exhibition hall. It is expected to contribute to revitalizing the local economy as it will be possible to hold various cultural and artistic events and business events in the future.

A GumiCo official said, "With this use change as a turning point, GumiCo will be reborn as a representative complex cultural space in the region," adding, "We will continue to make efforts to provide citizens with diverse cultural experiences and contribute to regional development."