LERA opens new office in Seoul, South Korea

Seoul, South Korea LERA Consulting Structural Engineers (LERA), a structural engineering consulting firm based in New York, has opened a new office in the city. The office is under the leadership of Seokkwon Jang, Ph.D., P.E., partner at LERA and director of the Seoul branch office. Dr. Jang has been with LERA since 2004, and was promoted to partner in 2020.

LERA has designed the structural system of many iconic buildings in South Korea, including the 1,820-ft. (555-m), 123-story Lotte World Tower, which opened in 2017 and is the tallest building in South Korea and the 6^th tallest building in the world. The Cheongna International City Tower (CICT), currently under construction, held a grand groundbreaking ceremony in November 2019, attended by Dr. Jang and William Faschan P.E., partner at LERA. LERA is leading the structural design for the new 1,470-ft. (448-m) tower, which is set to be completed in 2024. Upon completion, CICT will be the tallest observatory tower building in the country, and the 6^th tallest observatory tower in the world.

Dr. Jang was completing his doctorate at Lehigh University on September 11, 2001. The tragic events of that day inspired him to take on a special responsibility as a structural engineer. “After graduation, I joined LERA by destiny, who designed the original World Trade Center towers,” Dr. Jang said. “Starting with consulting on the new 1 WTC (Freedom Tower) and being a part of the design team for 4 WTC, I have enjoyed the precious privilege of participating in many high-rise building projects. The opening of LERA’s Seoul office is expected to become a valuable venue that transcends the gap between geography and time through a global collaboration with LERA HQ in New York and LERA’s branch offices in other countries. In particular, I look forward to the opportunity to grow together with the Korean structural industry.”

Wing-Pin Kwan, Ph.D., P.E., LERA’s managing partner, said, “Having a permanent presence in Korea will open more doors for LERA, and will help us to better serve our clients throughout Asia.”