54 Years in the Making: Iksan’s New City Hall Set to Transform Local Community

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[iNews24 Reporter Kim Yang-geun] Iksan City, North Jeolla Province, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new city hall plaza on the 13th, officially inaugurating the facility after a 54-year wait.

Having shed the ignominy of being the country’s oldest city hall, the rebuilt Iksan City Hall—now an open, mixed-use cultural center for residents—is positioned to become a catalyst for regional growth.

The ceremony opened with a promotional video documenting the construction process. Sixteen dignitaries and community representatives then took the stage for a commemorative performance marking Iksan’s optimistic future.

Popular singers Park Nam-jung and Bae Ah-hyun performed celebratory sets, heightening the festive atmosphere.

After 54 years, the renovated city hall is intended to serve beyond basic administrative functions; officials say it should stimulate the local economy and act as a focal point for civic cohesion.

The new hall had long been a top local priority. The previous building, completed in 1970, had become the country’s oldest city hall, raising safety concerns and suffering chronic space shortages that inconvenienced residents.

The city broke ground in 2021 and executed the project in phases. After completing Phase 1 in 2024, authorities finished Phase 2, bringing the half-century effort to a close with a modern municipal facility.

The new facility departs from the conventional government-office model. Notably, the basement houses a multipurpose hall, a small library, community club rooms, and a public computer education center—amenities designed so residents can visit to socialize, learn, and engage with an open, citizen-friendly city hall.

Iksan Mayor Jeong Heon-yul said the new city hall is more than a rebuilt structure: it will bolster civic pride and become a landmark that drives Iksan’s next leap forward. He added that the city will listen to even small citizen voices and use them to guide governance.