This image, released on May 7, 2023 by the Ganghwa County Office, shows a bird’s-eye view of a planned astronomical observatory.
INCHEON, May 9 (Korea Bizwire) — An abandoned school on Ganghwa Island in Incheon, west of Seoul, will be transformed into an astronomical observation facility.
The Ganghwa county office on Monday announced a plan to spend 10 billion won (US$7.56 million) on remodeling an abandoned two-story elementary school building with a floor space of 1,420 square meters.
The building will be converted into an astronomical experience center, featuring an astronomical observatory equipped with a high-performance telescope, an exhibition hall, and an education hall.
The elementary school closed in 2000 due to a decrease in student enrollment and has since been operated by a private entity as an exhibition space.
However, the county government acquired the abandoned school from the Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education in 2021 and launched a project to create an astronomical science center.
After conducting a structural safety assessment, some of the older facilities were demolished, and new facilities are being constructed alongside the remodeling of the building.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
