Democratic Party of Korea Gyeongsangnam-do Councilors and District Committees: "Special Act on Aerospace Cities Must Be Enacted This Year"

Democratic Party of Korea provincial councilors and district committee members in Gyeongsangnam-do have urged the government to enact the Special Act on the Construction and Support of Aerospace Cities, which has been pending in the National Assembly for nearly a year.

Democratic Party of Korea members of the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Council and the Sacheon, Namhae, and Hadong district committee held a press conference in the provincial council's briefing room on November 2 and called on the National Assembly and the government to "enact the Special Act on Aerospace Cities by the end of this year."

They said, "The aerospace industry is a key strategic industry that protects national security and technological sovereignty and will drive South Korea's future growth. With countries around the world fiercely competing to gain leadership in the aerospace industry, this is a golden opportunity for South Korea to become a global aerospace powerhouse. The enactment of the special act must help secure this opportunity."

Democratic Party of Korea members of the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Council and the Sacheon-Namhae-Hadong local committee are holding a press conference calling for the enactment of the Special Act on the Construction and Support of a Space and Aviation Complex City. [Photo by Lee Seryeong]

They also said, "The Korea Aerospace Administration opened in Sacheon in 2024, and in July this year the government presented a strategy to establish an aerospace hub centered on Sacheon and develop the southern coastal belt into a key base for the aerospace industry," adding, "A national strategy cannot be realized through declarations alone."

They continued, "To develop Sacheon and the southern coast into a center for the aerospace industry, we need an industrial base and the conditions for people to settle there, as well as the laws and institutions to support them. Enacting the Special Act on Aerospace Cities is the key task in this regard."

"Now is the time to turn the blueprint presented by the nation into reality," they said. "The National Assembly must expedite the enactment of the special act, and the government must prepare concrete support plans."

Earlier, on December 2, 2025, 42 lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties, led by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Moon Geum-ju, whose constituency covers Goheung, Boseong, Jangheung, and Gangjin in South Jeolla Province, and People Power Party lawmaker Seo Cheon-ho, whose constituency covers Sacheon, Namhae, and Hadong in South Gyeongsang Province, introduced the Special Act on the Construction and Support of Aerospace Cities.

The bill aims to accelerate the development of the aerospace sector and strengthen national competitiveness by establishing aerospace cities in areas with national industrial complexes specializing in aerospace and space launch vehicles. These include Goheung County, home to the Naro Space Center, and Sacheon, home to the Korea Aerospace Administration and an aerospace national industrial complex. The bill also provides special support measures to foster talent, promote industry-academia-research cooperation, and attract domestic and foreign companies, workers, and capital.

It sets out institutional foundations for building aerospace cities and offers benefits to create conditions for people to settle there, including establishing a dedicated organization within the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and a special account, granting exemptions from preliminary feasibility studies, and designating investment promotion zones.

However, the bill has remained pending for 11 months since its introduction without even being referred to the subcommittee on bill review.

The Democratic Party of Korea provincial councilors and district committee members called on the government to "refer the special act to the subcommittee on bill review in November, review it, and pass it at a plenary session before the end of this year."

They also called for details on the scope of infrastructure support, the roles of each ministry, and plans to secure funding in stages.

The lawmakers said, "The Special Act on Aerospace Cities is necessary to support the aerospace industry, which will determine South Korea's future competitiveness, regardless of party or region. Together with the Gyeongsangnam-do provincial government and Provincial Council, the People Power Party, and the 3.3 million residents of Gyeongsangnam-do, we will continue to speak with one voice and work until the special act is enacted and support at the national level is delivered."

They added, "We plan to discuss and cooperate with the opposition to prepare a petition urging the government to enact the special act by the end of this year, and jointly introduce it at a future plenary session of the Provincial Council. We call on the National Assembly to make a responsible decision without further delay."

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