New Nat’l Museum may not be completed on time

Scheduling delays in building the new National Central Museum, the nation`s largest-ever project in the cultural sector, are feared to result in faulty construction work.

The government plans to complete construction of the new museum at the end of next year with the aim of opening it in December 2003.

However, experts say that opening the facility by that time would be impossible due to delays in the ongoing construction work.

One of the most serious problems so far is the slow rate of progress in raising the building. Originally slated to take 62 months to complete, from November 1997 to December 2002, the project is already in its 40th month and only 33 percent of the work is done, according to officials.

Making things worse is a budget shortfall. The government earmarked only 330 billion won to build the new facility, the equivalent of 8.1 million won per pyong (3.3 square meters), much lower than the average 12 million won for provincial or private museums.

However, the government-led museum planning committee said, \"The engineering work on the building`s frame is almost done and interior work will start soon. We don`t foresee any problem in meeting the deadline for completion.\"

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which is in charge of the construction work, said it would reconsider the timetable for completing the new museum.

Lee Kwawg-Pyo kplee@donga.com