Gyeongnam Governor Park Wansu Proposes "West Gyeongnam Free Economic Zone and Mega-Special Zone Designation" to Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

Request for Relocation of KIAT and KOTRA to Gyeongnam

Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, who has been taking an all-encompassing approach to addressing key issues, once again traveled to Seoul on September 30.

On this day, at the Seoul Government Complex, Governor Park met with Moon Sinhak, Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, to propose major agendas such as new designation for the West Gyeongnam Free Economic Zone, the designation of Gyeongnam as Korea’s first mega-special zone in Dongnamwon, and the adjustment of the Korea-U.S. specialized shipbuilding industrial cluster.

Regarding the second phase of public institution relocations, he also requested the transfer of public institutions under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy—including the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA)—to Gyeongnam.

Governor Park Wansoo of Gyeongnam Province (right) is handing over key issue proposal documents to Moon Sinhak, Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy. [Photo by Gyeongnam Province]

Governor Park insisted that the Sacheon, Jinju, and Tongyeong districts be designated as the "West Gyeongnam Free Economic Zone" so that core regional industries—centered around Jinju and Sacheon’s aerospace sector and Tongyeong’s marine tourism—can be linked together.

He pointed out, "Currently, Hadong is included in the Gwangyang Bay Area Free Economic Zone, but it is small in scale and operates mainly around Gwangyang and Yeosu, making it difficult for Gyeongnam’s industrial environment and policy demands to be fully reflected. Since the President has also emphasized the aerospace industry belt, it is necessary to expand the free economic zone and design, designate, and manage it independently with a particular focus on Jinju and Sacheon’s aerospace sectors, so as to better reflect the unique industrial characteristics of Western Gyeongnam."

Governor Park also highlighted Gyeongnam’s industrial environment, with its advanced manufacturing base in areas such as aerospace, robotics, physical AI, and shipbuilding, as well as the concentration of major companies there. He requested the designation of Korea's first mega-special zone.

He explained, "Gyeongnam has already secured concrete investment plans from anchor companies such as Hyundai Wia and Hanwha Aerospace, and the province has organized a task force working with enterprises and related organizations to resolve regulatory and investment challenges. This gives Gyeongnam a greater chance of successful implementation and a superior starting point for speedy project execution compared to other regions."

Regarding the Korea-U.S. specialized shipbuilding industrial cluster, he said, "The benefits of the flourishing shipbuilding industry should not be confined to large corporations, but must also expand to local equipment suppliers and subcontractors. Since Gyeongnam is a hub for the shipbuilding industry and related businesses, I hope the government will provide institutional support and create a specialized industrial cluster to foster Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation."

In addition, in relation to the second-stage relocation of government public institutions, Governor Park said, "As the government has presented links between the existing innovation cities and regional strategic industries as a main policy direction for the second phase, please consider Gyeongnam’s industrial conditions, where core national industries such as shipbuilding, defense, nuclear power, and aerospace are clustered." He further emphasized that linking strategic industries in Gyeongnam with institutions in the existing innovation cities, would maximize the synergy effect.

Gyeongnam Province plans to continue coordinating with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and other relevant ministries to ensure that key issues such as the designation of the West Gyeongnam Free Economic Zone and mega-special zone, Korea-U.S. shipbuilding industry cooperation, and the second relocation of public institutions are thoroughly reflected in government policy and throughout the implementation process.

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