![Opening ceremony at the Unification Plus Center [Photo=Chungcheongnam-do]](https://contents-cdn.viewus.co.kr/image/2026/03/CP-2023-0070/image-01bee7a8-e47d-446d-b8b1-83ec9cae3a8f.jpeg)
The Unification Plus Center, intended as a hub to expand public consensus on Korean unification across the Chungcheong region, has officially opened and begun full operations.
On the 23rd, Chungcheongnam-do held the opening ceremony for the Chungcheong Unification Plus Center in Naepo New Town. Governor Kim Tae-heum, officials and about 300 local residents attended.
The center was selected through a competitive grant program administered by the Ministry of Unification and was built with national and provincial funding totaling KRW 13.74 billion (about US$10,305,000). It is the first facility of its kind in the Chungcheong region and is the largest in the country.
The facility occupies a 3,000㎡ site and comprises three above-ground floors and one basement, with a total floor area of 2,226㎡. Its scale surpasses the four existing Unification Plus Centers in Incheon, Honam, Gangwon and Gyeonggi.
Key features include a Future Exhibition Hall where visitors can explore visions of Chungnam after unification; a Future Video Room with immersive footage of North Korean landmarks and DMZ ecological experiences; an archive for viewing and borrowing unification-related materials; a North–South cultural education space; and a special exhibition hall.
The center will host North Korean food tastings and unification education programs for children and youth so residents can encounter North Korean culture in everyday settings and deepen their understanding of unification. It will also provide initial settlement support and public-awareness programs for North Korean defectors.
Operating hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday; the center is closed on Mondays.
Chungcheongnam-do officials expect the Unification Plus Center to establish Naepo New Town as a central hub for spreading unification awareness in the central region, improve living conditions in the innovation city, and have a positive effect on attracting a second wave of public institution relocations from the Seoul metropolitan area.
The opening ceremony included a progress report, commemorative speeches, a ribbon-cutting and a tour of the exhibition facilities.
Kim Tae-heum said, \"The Chungcheong Unification Plus Center is the nation's largest and most advanced unification platform. We expect it to attract more than 20,000 visitors a year through over 100 educational and hands-on programs.\"
He added, \"We will make this a place where our children can naturally talk about peace on the Korean Peninsula and envision the future of a unified Korea. Chungcheongnam-do will also strengthen efforts to build a foundation for peaceful unification by expanding unification education and supporting North Korean defectors.\"
Governor Kim also said, \"Preparing for the unification era is as important for the country's future as preparing for the AI era. I hope the Unification Plus Center becomes a stepping stone toward a unified Korean Peninsula.\"
