A view of Korea Gas Corp.'s new building.

Korea Gas Corp. held a ceremony to officially open its new headquarters in Daegu on Nov. 27, with a number of dignitaries cutting the tape during the ceremony. The list of attendees included Assistant Minister Chung Yang-ho of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Rep. Kim Sang-hoon, Rep. Hong Ji-man, Mayor Kwon Yong-jin of Daegu Metropolitan City.The invited guests and executives of Kogas totaled some 700 people, led by President Chang Seok-hyo of Kogas. President Chang said in his speech that Kogas has built a base for its operations for the next 100 years, heralding in the “Daegu Age,” a hopeful time with the support of Daegu residents. He swore that Kogas is 100 percent committed to the localization of the company, a union with the regional economy. The invigoration of the regional economy will allow Daegu to stand shoulder to shoulder with other major cities in Korea’s economy. Kogas is set to do its best to boost the growth of the regional economy and the standing of Daegu as an outstanding metropolitan city in Korea.

 Chang continued that the WGC 2021, a kind of Olympics for the global gas industry, would be a signal for Daegu to grow to be a famous brand-name city in the world and hoped that every one in Daegu would help Kogas in its moves to help Daegu reach its potential. Assistant Minister Chung Yang-ho in his congratulatory speech, said he expects Kogas to be a growth engine for Daegu and its regional economy as it starts its new age. He hopes every member of Kogas will stand with the residents of the metropolitan city to help it grow to be a “global Kogas.”He also hopes every officer and staff member of the state gas firm does their best to boost the growth of Kogas so it can stand in the center of the global gas market.The new building is 12-stories high with one basement floor, saving around 50 percent of energy used by ordinary buildings equipped with high-tech intelligent green facilities to realize a “green construction.”

 The construction of the new home for Kogas began in January 2012 and was completed in this June. Kogas moved into the new building on Sept. 30 from its old office in Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province, officially opening the new office from Oct. 1. 

Kogas, with employees totaling around 800, is the largest among the 12 state-owned firms that will be working out of Daegu under the government’s localization policy for state-owned firms.Kogas, set up in 1983, has been a stable supplier of gas as heating fuel for buildings and homes in Korea. The company initially had four storage tanks in Peongtaek, but the number of tanks has grown to 63 around the country, including in such cities as Incheon, Tongyong, South Jeolla Province, Samcheok, Gangwon Province, with a total capacity of 9.46 million kl linked with 4,108 kilometers of pipelines to distribute the gas around the country.Kogas collected some 37.8 trillion won in annual gas sales in 2013, compared to 31.2 billion won in 1987 when it began its operation to become a key energy supplier in the country..