Gwangju Office of Education Relocation 'Conditionally Approved'... Completion Set for 2030

The relocation project for the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education building has received conditional approval from the Ministry of Education’s Central Investment Review. This approval was granted after adjustments to the project’s scale and costs, as well as improvements such as expanded parking facilities, were made to establish the project’s feasibility.

The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the 28th that the relocation project had received conditional approval at the 4th Central Investment Review Committee meeting recently held by the Ministry of Education.

Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education.

This decision follows a request for reconsideration issued during the 3rd Central Investment Review in July. Since then, the project’s scale and budget were adjusted to reflect current realities, and key issues such as parking expansion were addressed. While the committee acknowledged the necessity and feasibility of the project, it attached additional opinions, including a report on plans to improve fiscal efficiency and a report on the results of the urban management plan decision.

The Office of Education has included the new building site in the “2030 Urban Management Plan Readjustment Service” currently being promoted by Gwangju City. Once the urban management plan decision is finalized, the office will report on the implementation of the additional opinions at next year’s Central Investment Review.

The current office building has been in use for over 37 years since its completion in 1988. The number of staff has increased from 142 at the time of construction to 526, resulting in significant shortages of office space and parking facilities. The need for relocation has been a long-standing issue for more than 10 years and has been actively pursued since Superintendent Lee Jeongseon took office.

The site for the new building has been confirmed as the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education Citizens’ Governance Promotion Center site (999-9, Sinchang-dong, Gwangsan-gu). The new building will have one basement floor and six above-ground floors, with a total floor area of 31,364 square meters. The total project cost is 129.8 billion won, of which 30.8 billion won will be provided by the Ministry of Education and 99 billion won will come from the office’s own funds.

The Office of Education aims to hold a design competition and complete detailed design between 2026 and 2027, begin construction in 2028, and complete and relocate by 2030. In August, the “Ordinance on the Establishment and Operation of the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education New Building Construction Fund” was enacted, providing a legal basis for accumulating the fund.

Going forward, the office plans to flexibly adjust the project’s pace and timing according to financial conditions and administrative procedures, ensuring stability and sustainability. After completion, the current office building will be repurposed as a comprehensive support complex, tentatively named the “Bit:Dam Center,” serving as a hub for public educational services such as care, reading, arts, and staff support for students, faculty, and citizens.