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“A Memory Repository Preserving the City and Its Citizens” … Busan Archives Construction Project Enters Full-Scale Implementation Phase

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it has secured the driving force for the full-scale implementation of the Busan Archives construction project, a key initiative to establish a regional hub for archival culture, by passing the Central Investment Review conducted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in a single attempt.

The successful passage of this Central Investment Review signifies official recognition by the central government of the necessity and feasibility of constructing the Busan Archives. By completing this prerequisite procedure, the city has laid a solid foundation for the project’s full-scale implementation.

The construction of the Busan Archives is a long-anticipated project aimed at resolving the limitations in storing administrative records of Busan Metropolitan City. The city plans to accelerate the project with a target opening year of 2031, investing 46.5 billion won in municipal funds to build the facility on the site of the Busan Human Resource Development Center in Geumgok-dong, Buk-gu, with a total floor area of 8,586 square meters.

The Busan Archives will include specialized facilities such as archival storage stacks, exhibition and reading rooms, and education and experience spaces, along with areas for citizen participation. In particular, with the capacity to house approximately 940,000 volumes of records and a systematically established preservation environment for both public and private records, the Busan Archives is expected to serve as a key hub where citizens can experience the value of archival culture.

Once completed, the Busan Archives will function as “a memory repository of Busan Metropolitan City preserving the city and its citizens,” operating not merely as a records storage facility but as an “open archive” that engages and interacts with citizens.

Through this facility, the city plans to collect distinctive and valuable records, collaborate with tourism, cultural, and arts institutions, and integrate and connect dispersed archival information to promote citizen-centered archival services.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “Through the construction of the Busan Archives, we will establish a foundation for systematic and professional records management and realize ‘records autonomy’ suited to the era of local autonomy.” He added, “Beyond simple preservation, we will share the diverse values of Busan’s archival culture with citizens and further enhance the city’s brand value by linking these resources with tourism, education, and cultural industries.”