The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Minister Kim Yun-duk visited a modular dwellings manufacturing plant in Gunsan, North Jeolla, on the 10th.
Minister Kim inspected firsthand the production site for the modular construction method, in which a building's core structure is manufactured in a factory in advance and then transported to the site for assembly. He then held a discussion with Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH), Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement (KAIA), and industry officials to invigorate the modular dwellings sector.
The visit was arranged to encourage the production process of dwellings structures for the "LH Uiwang Chopyeong project," a representative pilot project that will lead the upsizing and high-rise development of modular dwellings in Korea, and to discuss concrete plans to grow the related industry. The project will supply a total of 381 households and involves about 86 billion won.
At the roundtable, the Minister said, "Our construction industry is facing structural difficulties due to issues such as an aging workforce, deepening reliance on foreign labor, and climate change," and added, "Systematic process management enabled by 'modular technology' can serve as a key breakthrough to quickly supply high-quality dwellings without being shaken by external factors."
Kim also said of the visit, "We are carrying out an important project with major corporations, including this Gunsan plant, to confirm the potential for high-rise and large-scale modular dwellings in Korea," and urged, "As this project can become a milestone for Korea's modular industry, please proceed without a hitch and make it a best-practice case that leads the market going forward."
Meanwhile, industry officials at the roundtable spoke of difficulties caused by funding pressure from initial facility investments and rigid regulations that fail to capture the nuances of the modular method. Compared with conventional construction, the modular method can shorten construction periods by about 20% to 30% and offers multiple advantages in preventing fatalities because there is less work at height. However, as the market is still in its early formation stage, construction costs are about 30% higher than with conventional methods, and the task remains of refining various construction standards and rules.
In response, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) plans to enact the Special Act on Supporting the Vitalization of Modular Architecture to prepare tailored benefits and incentives for corporations. Along with this, the government will actively roll out support measures to solidify the industrial ecosystem, such as igniting the market by increasing the supply of public dwellings built with the modular method.
The Minister said, "We will firmly back modular technology so it can become an important option leading stable housing for the public and innovation in the construction industry," adding, "The government will also listen closely to voices from the field and swiftly reflect the necessary policy support and institutional improvements to resolve difficulties."