“CM: Now Is the Starting Point for Project Coordinators to Transform Official Development Assistance (ODA)”
“The domestic construction management (CM) industry must actively participate in Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects. This is not merely a matter of expanding overseas; it is a starting point for transforming the industry’s structure and a practical path to overcoming the limitations of the domestic market in the long term.”
(Excerpt)
Currently, the domestic CM market is confined to a role of providing simple technical support between design and construction, which hinders the industry’s scalability. Contrary to the original intent of providing integrated management across the entire project, there is a strong tendency in practice to focus solely on schedule management and supervision functions. CEO Bang proposed ODA projects as a solution to overcome these structural issues.
He emphasized, “The moment we view CM as merely a technical role, our potential contributions are inevitably limited,” adding, “We must expand our role to include understanding and coordinating the urban context and the overall structure of the project.” He continued, “While the structure in Korea inevitably limits our role, overseas there are relatively more opportunities for CM to perform its original function of coordinating the entire project,” adding, “Through ODA projects, we can gain experience in coordinating the entire project.”
(Excerpt)
In fact, the primary reason CEO Pang and JUNGLIM participate in ODA projects is social contribution. He emphasized, “This is an area where Korean CM firms, having already joined the ranks of developed nations, must feel a sense of responsibility in terms of social contribution,” adding, “Jeongrim’s management philosophy—‘Creating healthy spatial environments to build a world where we live together’—is also aligned with ODA, which aims to improve the poor infrastructure of developing and underdeveloped countries.”
Finally, CEO Pang outlined the ultimate goal of the CM industry, stating, “CM must now break free from the framework of mere technical support and become a ‘consultant’ and ‘coordinator’ who understands and coordinates the entire project,” and added, “I believe the expansion of ODA projects will be the first step toward that bold transformation.”
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The reason CEO Pang picks up a pen instead of a camera is clear: to capture the intense “process” hidden behind the finished product—the building—and the warmth of the “people” who work on-site. “A single hand-drawn sketch stays in your memory much longer than hundreds of photographs,” he says. “In the past, I used to draw the building as the main subject, but now I draw the people first and place the building in the background.”
(Excerpt)
Above all, CEO Pang aims to instill a “sense of pride among construction professionals” through his on-site sketches.
He expressed his hope, saying, “I hope that not only the experts from JUNGLIM CM who participated in the ODA project, but also the designers, KOICA staff, and all other stakeholders will take pride in their work.”
-From the article
In the Press
[The Korea Economic Daily] Myungse Pang, CEO of JUNGLIM CM: “ODA is the starting point for structural reform in the CM industry… It should be actively expanded from a long-term perspective”
[The Korea Economic Daily] “A Record That Lasts Longer Than a Photo”… The Value of Construction Captured with a Pen
