Hwaseong City Forms Aerospace Industry Task Force with 60 Experts, Launches Future Industry Push

Hwaseong City Forms Task Force of 60 Aerospace Experts; Launch Set for November 3

Four Divisions for Policy, Space, Aviation, and AI to Lead Future Industry Development

Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun: “We’ll Prove Our Competitiveness in Aerospace, Following Semiconductors, Mobility, and AI”

Hwaseong Special City in Gyeonggi Province, led by Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun, is moving to foster its aerospace industry by establishing an Aerospace Industry Task Force comprising 60 experts in aerospace and artificial intelligence (AI).

Hwaseong Special City Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun explains plans for the Hwaseong-style aerospace cluster at a meeting with aerospace companies held on the 16th. Provided by Hwaseong City.

Hwaseong City announced on October 26 that it will hold the task force’s launch ceremony during the opening session of the global AI expo “MARS 2026,” scheduled for 2 p.m. on November 3 at the Auditorium on the third floor of COEX in Seoul.

The task force is a public-private-academic-research council that will set the direction and key priorities for fostering Hwaseong City’s aerospace industry over the next two years and support the development of external partnerships. It will comprise an advisory group and four specialized divisions covering policy and planning, space, aviation, and AI. A separate support team will assist with administrative and financial coordination.

Seven people will serve on the advisory group, including Kim Seungjo, former president of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute; Professor Lee Byung-heon of Kwangwoon University; Professor Kim Hyunsoo of Dankook University; and Professor Kang Choonggoo of Korea University. The policy and planning division, also comprising seven members, will be led by Professor Kim Sunwoo of Sejong University, a civilian member of the National Space Committee, and Professor Lee Woojin of Kookmin University. The division will advise on establishing an ordinance to foster the industry, responding to government project calls, securing designation as a specialized industrial complex, and developing a mid- to long-term policy roadmap.

The space division will have 19 members, including Choi Kyungil, CEO of KT SAT; Choi Youngjun, vice president of the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute; Lee Jun, principal researcher at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute; Kim Soojong, CEO of INNOSPACE; and Kim Kyungkeun, head of the Satellite Systems Development Group at the Agency for Defense Development. The division plans to review ways to develop low Earth orbit satellites and satellite components and materials, make use of space data, and attract promising companies.

'MARS 2026' poster. Courtesy of Hwaseong City.

The aviation division will include 10 members, among them Kang Wanggu, head of a group at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute; Kim Kyuhong, chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Seoul National University; Professor Park Chankook of Seoul National University’s Department of Aerospace Engineering; and retired Air Force Major General Yoon Woo. They will discuss urban air mobility (UAM), AI drones, and ways to build an ecosystem for manufacturing future aircraft and components.

The AI division will have 17 members, including Cho Younghoon, president of the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement; Oh Yunseok, research fellow at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology; Oh Seongtak, research fellow at the National Information Society Agency; Professor Jang Dongui of KAIST; and Professor Lee Junghoon of Yonsei University. The division will support the convergence of aerospace data and AI, ontology-based air traffic control that systematizes relationships among knowledge, and the practical application of physical AI autonomous technologies.

The city said it had prepared for the task force’s launch by first forming an aerospace industry task force (TF) during its eighth popularly elected administration, then holding around 10 expert advisory meetings, division meetings, and meetings with business leaders since the start of its ninth administration. Going forward, it plans to develop specific policies, centered on the task force, to support efforts to attract companies and help local businesses enter the aerospace sector.

“The task force will serve as a strong governance body that systematically builds Hwaseong City’s aerospace ecosystem and brings about business attraction and industrial innovation,” said Hwaseong Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun. “We will demonstrate the city’s competitiveness in aerospace, following semiconductors, mobility, and AI.”

Jeong Myeonggeun, mayor of Hwaseong Special City, speaks about the direction for developing the aerospace industry at a meeting with aerospace industry experts held on the 12th. Provided by Hwaseong City.

He added, “We will complete a Hwaseong-style aerospace cluster that reflects the voices of people in the field and drive the growth of local businesses. I ask for your interest in Hwaseong City’s aerospace vision, which citizens, experts, and public officials will shape together.”

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