Gwangju Customs Director Visits Kumho Tire Hampyeong Plant... Pledges Fast Customs Clearance and Jurisdiction Adjustment

Inspection of Construction Site for 2028 Launch Target
Commitment to Expedited Customs Clearance for Construction Materials and Equipment
Kumho Tire: "Consolidation of Hampyeong Factory Customs Administration under Gwangju Customs Office"

Kumho Tire has begun strengthening its cooperation with customs authorities to ensure the smooth construction of its Hampyeong Factory in the Bitgreen National Industrial Complex, which is scheduled to start operations in the first half of 2028.

On August 25, Kumho Tire announced that Kang Taeil, Director of the Gwangju Customs Office, had visited the construction site of the Hampyeong Factory within the Bitgreen Industrial Complex. The purpose of this visit was to check the progress of the factory construction and the company's plans for equipment installation, as well as to discuss customs administrative support measures needed during the construction process.

Kang Taeil, Director of Gwangju Customs (third from the left in the photo), and other customs officials visited the construction site of Kumho Tire’s Hampyeong factory on the 25th. Photo by Kumho Tire

Kumho Tire provided Director Kang and Gwangju Customs clearance officials with detailed updates on the progress of the Hampyeong Factory construction and plans for the introduction of production equipment, and requested cooperation for the smooth customs clearance of building materials and construction equipment. In particular, the company formally proposed consolidating customs administration for the new Hampyeong Factory under the jurisdiction of the Gwangju Customs Office as a key agenda item.

Currently, the Gwangju Factory and Gokseong Factory of Kumho Tire are under the jurisdiction of the Gwangju Customs Office, but due to administrative district arrangements, the Hampyeong Factory falls under the Mokpo Customs Office. Kumho Tire maintains that having the Gwangju Customs Office oversee the Hampyeong Factory as well would be more efficient, considering the operational collaboration, logistics access with existing factories, and overall customs administrative efficiency.

Jung Youngmo, Head of the Hampyeong Factory Construction Project at Kumho Tire, said, "We are grateful for the proactive customs administrative support we have always received," adding, "We request that the customs administration for the Hampyeong Factory in the Bitgreen Industrial Complex be consolidated under the Gwangju Customs Office."

In response, Kang Taeil, Director of the Gwangju Customs Office, stated, "We will provide support to ensure that construction materials and equipment needed for the timely completion of the Hampyeong Factory clear customs quickly," adding, "We will also actively review adjustments to the jurisdiction and make efforts to implement them."

Kumho Tire plans to nurture the Hampyeong Factory as a core production base that will determine the company’s future competitiveness. It is being established as an advanced manufacturing hub that will produce high-performance tires for passenger vehicles as well as tires for electric and autonomous vehicles.

The warehouse construction has already been completed, and work is currently underway on the compounding building. The first-phase production capacity is planned at 15,000 tires per day and 5.3 million tires per year, with the goal of launching operations in the first half of 2028.

A Kumho Tire representative said, "The Hampyeong Factory will become a key production hub ensuring Kumho Tire’s future competitiveness and a catalyst for regional economic development. We will also fulfill all legal and administrative duties, such as the payment of taxes associated with factory construction and operations, without fail."

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