Hyundai E&C gives rice processing facility a landmark makeover inspired by founder Chung Ju-yung

Hyundai Engineering & Construction announced Friday that it has installed a super graphic on the exterior of silos at the rice processing facility inside its Hyundai Seosan Farm in Buseok-myeon, Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, creating a symbolic landmark for the region.

The facility mills and processes rice grown on the Seosan reclaimed land and comprises six storage silos, six control silos, a rice mill, a receiving room and a warehouse. The storage silos stand 45 meters tall — equivalent to a 15-story apartment building — and can hold more than 20,000 tons of rice.

The Seosan reclaimed land is the product of a large-scale national development project in which Hyundai Group founder Chung Ju-yung transformed the sea around Cheonsu Bay into roughly 16,000 hectares of land, driven by his belief that "land is the most precious legacy one can pass on to future generations." The reclamation project — which expanded South Korea's total land area by 1 percent — is celebrated as a defining achievement of Hyundai Engineering & Construction's corporate philosophy, embodying the spirit of challenge and innovation through techniques such as the oil-tanker tidal-blocking method.

Chung was the founder of both Hyundai Group and Hyundai Engineering & Construction, and one of the first-generation entrepreneurs who drove South Korea's economic growth.

Rather than simply repairing the facility, which had deteriorated from prolonged exposure to sunlight and sea winds, Hyundai Engineering & Construction chose to reimagine it with a graphic that captures the historical significance and geographic character of the Seosan reclaimed land.

"As we approach Hyundai Engineering & Construction's 80th anniversary next year, it is gratifying to have transformed Seosan — a place imbued with founder Chung Ju-yung's beliefs — into a symbolic space where the company's history and pioneering spirit live on," a company official said. "We will continue to enhance both our corporate value and regional identity through diverse initiatives and content that reflect our brand heritage."

Meanwhile, in addition to the rice processing facility, Hyundai Engineering & Construction operates the Asan Memorial Hall — converted from the founder's former lodgings — as well as employee training and accommodation facilities on the Seosan Farm.