Determination to Move Forward

Construction Day celebrated with theme of “Proud Construction People, No.1” to expand overseas market

The Federation of Construction Associations held a ceremony July 15 to commemorate the 2010 Construction Day at the Construction Hall in Nonhyun-dong, Seoul, with the theme of “Proud Construction People, Number 1,” with over 1,000 people led by Prime Minister Chung Un-chan, other high-ranking government officials, Rep. Song Gwang-ho, chairman of the Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Committee of the National ‘Assembly among legislators and leaders from the construction industry attending, among them Chairman Kwon Hong-sa of the federation.
Others among the dignitaries included Reps. Chang Kwang-kun, Kim Ki-hyun, and Lee Yong-sub, all members of the National Assembly Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Committee; those from the construction industry included Chairman Lee Jae-kyun of the International Contractors Association of Korea. President Kim Joong-kyum of Hyundai Construction, President Park Chang-kyu of Lotte Construction, President Kim Ki-dong of Doosan Construction, President Park Jong-yong of Taeyoung Construction, among others.
Prime Minister Chung, in his congratulatory speech at the ceremony, said the construction industry has done a great job of spurring the miraculous growth of the Korean economy in the past four decades by taking charge of construction projects both at home and overseas. The construction of the Seoul-Busan Expressway can be singled out as the most important achievement made by the industry as it has been a backbone of Korea’s logistics sector moving export goods from the Seoul area to Busan, the nation’s largest port, for transportation overseas.
Korea has the 10th largest construction industry in the world due to sweat and passion shed by the hard working people in the construction industry and large enough to share 16 percent of the GDP for Korea, hiring some 1.8 million people. Last year, the industry earned $49.1 billion from overseas projects and in the first half of this year, the Korean construction firms won $36.4 billion worth of various construction projects overseas, almost triple the figures recorded in the same period last year.
But, we cannot be satisfied with what the industry has attained thus far. The prime minister said we have to catch up with the construction industries in advanced countries by investing more in R&D to develop new construction technologies as our current level of construction technologies come only to 70 percent to 80 percent of the global standards. Chung said that’s why we have to foster the construction engineering sector of the industry as it is a high value-added sector.
Chung said the government will do what it can in supporting the expansion of construction firms operating overseas through various efforts including the dispatch of joint government and private sector promotional missions to explore construction markets overseas, hold road shows overseas and upgrade diplomatic efforts to help Korean construction firms to win more projects overseas. The government will invest 2 trillion won annually in its public infrastructural projects and train 2,000 experts on overseas construction every year, the prime minister said. Chairman Kwon Hong-sa of the FCA, in his speech said this year’s Construction Day anniversary has a significant meaning; Its been 50 years since the launch of the National Construction Headquarters, which was the first government organization that took charge of the construction affairs in Korea that gave birth to the current Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs and four decades since the opening of the Seoul-Busan Expressway.
Every one knows that the construction industry has had a big hand in building Korea to rank the 15th largest economy in the world from the ashes of the Korean War and devastation left by the Japanese colonialists.
They built bridges, tunnels and reclaimed seashores to allow industrial plants to be built and developed urban areas to make the country a better place for living. Many of us construction people had to sacrifice themselves to do their jobs gladly as they believed that nothing can stand in their ways in carrying out their sacred duty of nation building. But, the construction industry is now faced with the most difficult times with many construction firms being put under restructuring because of the liquidity problems not able to cope with the second financial crisis that hit them. The housing and real estate markets have been sluggish due to various regulations like fish inside a large pan ready to be cooked. But we should be able to cope with the crisis and reborn as an industry that can withstand any kind of crisis that visit might come in the future.
We have to introduce new advanced financial procurement technologies, lead development of low-carbon, green growth technologies, and find ways to mix IT and other industrial technologies to upgrade our image as a strong construction country in the world, the veteran construction man said. As of now, the value of overseas construction projects won by Korean builders came to over $60 billion, already of half of what we aim to secure for this year and the overseas construction market has been the only way for us to break out of the current doldrums at home. We cannot afford to take time out for worries, but rearm ourselves with determination to make the world for our future stumping ground for construction projects, Kwon said.
He also urged the government to make its management of laws and regulations predictable and allow investors and financial companies owners of various construction projects in the country as it is done in advanced countries, not construction firms as they have been in the past. In the meantime, Chairman Kwon won the Industrial Merit Gold Medal from the government for his achievements in the development of the construction industry, along with Chairman Kang Sok-dae of Wooyang Construction.
Kwon was cited for his 35-year long career in construction, leading his own construction firm Bando Construction, after setting his feet in the industry 35 years ago as a driver of a heavy equipment at construction sites and a jobsite chief before launching his own Bando Construction in 1980. He managed his firm rationally and responsibly to put it where it is today in the industry, while doing a lot to help develop the national economic growth.
Kwon as chairman of the Construction Association of Korea played a huge role in cooperating with the government policies including those to restore four large rivers in the country, green growth by getting the construction industry support for those government policies. He also was given large credit for exploring overseas construction market, employment of employees by construction firms by holding construction industry exhibitions around the country and narrowing cooperation between large and small construction firms.
Chairman Kang was cited for his contributions to improving the living conditions for the people in the country and the development of the construction industry in the past 35 years since he launched Wooyang Construction in 1974. He was given credit for construction of semiconductor plants with unique plant construction technologies in the country, helping the nation’s semiconductor industry to be a major export industry in the country. President Han Sang-won of Donga Estech and Chairman Lee Hak-soo of Changil Industry won the Industrial Merit Silver Medals, President Choi Jong-chol of Jonghyun Engineering won the Industrial Merit Bronze Medal. A total of 180 people in the construction industry and related areas won either medals or citations for their outstanding contribution for the development of the construction industry. nw

(from left) Prime Minister Chung Un-chan pins the Industrial Merit Gold Medal on Chairman Kwon Hong-sa of the Contractors Association of Korea for his life-long service for the construction industry at the Construction Day ceremony held on July 15 at the Construction Hall in Seoul,; Chairman Kwon Hong-sa of the Federation of Construction Associations.

(from above) Prime Minister Chung Un-chan speaks at the Construction Day anniversary event. Minister of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Chung Jong-hwan shakes hands with the leaders of the Federation of Construction Associations.