Gyeongsangnam-do and Jeonnam Gwangju Special City to Further Strengthen Yeongnam-Honam Cooperation in the Ninth Elected Term

Gyeongsangnam-do will continue fostering cooperative development between the Yeongnam and Honam regions with Jeonnam Gwangju Special City during the ninth popularly elected term.

The “Kyungnam University Leap Preparation Team,” supporting the launch of Governor Park Wansu’s second term, visited the “Jeonnam Gwangju Daejeon Transition Planning Committee”—the transition committee for the Jeonnam Gwangju Special City—on June 15.

At this meeting, the parties discussed joint issues such as the enactment of the Special Act on the Development of the Namhaean Region, the Special Act on the Construction of an Aerospace Convergence City, and the establishment of an independent economic free zone authority through the separation of the Gwangyang Bay Area Free Economic Zone. They also explored ways to cooperate for balanced national development and to secure future growth engines.

With the launch of the ninth popularly elected administration and the integration of Jeonnam Province and Gwangju Metropolitan City, the two regions had previously declared their commitment to Yeongnam-Honam collaborative development in May last year.

The Kyungnam University Leap Preparation Team (left) is visiting the Jeonnam Gwangju Daejeon Transition Planning Committee to discuss current issues related to mutual cooperation between Yeongnam and Honam regions. [Photo by Gyeongnam Province]

On this day, both transition committees emphasized that, despite the Namhaean region’s abundant marine tourism resources and industrial potential, development has been restricted due to overlapping regulations such as various protected areas and conservation zones. They agreed to join efforts for the prompt enactment of the “Special Act on the Development of the Namhaean Region.”

By enacting this special law, the plan is to pursue regulatory easing and special exemptions, establish the Namhaean Regional Development Agency, create a special accounting system, and exempt preliminary feasibility studies. The ultimate goal is to foster the Namhaean as a world-class marine tourism belt and a hub for future industries, thereby laying the foundation for Korea’s second largest economic zone.

Both sides also acknowledged that, despite the rapid growth of the global space market, there is a lack of institutional infrastructure for the integration of industrial, research, and educational functions, as well as for improving residential conditions, centered on the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) and the national industrial complex in Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do.

Therefore, they agreed to jointly respond to the enactment of the “Special Act on the Construction of the Aerospace Convergence City,” which will establish an industry-academia-research cluster linking the national industrial complexes in Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do and Goheung, Jeonnam, as well as provisions for forming a task force under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, setting up a special accounting system, and exempting preliminary feasibility studies.

Gyeongsangnam-do also pointed out that, although 23 years have passed since the designation of the Gwangyang Bay Area Free Economic Zone, the development rate of the Hadong District in Gyeongsangnam-do remains at just 14.12%. The need to formulate a development strategy that reflects the unique characteristics of the region was emphasized.

In particular, the province highlighted differences in the main industrial structures between Jeonnam Gwangju Special City and Gyeongsangnam-do, stressing the necessity of establishing an independent operating system for the economic free zone centered on the Hadong District. The aim is to attract investment and foster industries, notably in aerospace and defense, in line with Gyeongsangnam-do’s future strategic sectors.

Both sides concurred that restructuring the economic free zone system is a process for mutual growth, utilizing the strengths of each region, and agreed to continue consultations going forward.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.