Gyeongsangnam-do and Jeonnam-Gwangju Join Forces ... "Enact Special Act on Space and Aerospace Complex City to Become One of the World's Top Five Space and Aerospace Powers"

"For the Republic of Korea to become one of the world's five leading space and aerospace powers, it is crucial not only to bring the Korea AeroSpace Administration, companies and research institutions to the area, but also to build Space and Aerospace Complex Cities with the facilities and services needed for people to live in Sacheon and Goheung."

Gyeongsangnam-do Governor Park Wan-soo made the remarks on November 9 at the Pan-National Rally of Yeongnam and Honam Calling for the Enactment of the Special Act on the Space and Aerospace Complex City, held in front of the National Assembly.

Governor Park stressed the need to build the complex cities, saying, "We live in an era when countries around the world are competing for leadership in the space and aerospace industry."

Park Wan-su, governor of Gyeongsangnam-do, speaks at the "Pan-National Rally of Yeongnam and Honam Regions Calling for the Enactment of the Special Act on the Aerospace Complex City" in front of the National Assembly. [Photo provided by Gyeongsangnam-do]

He said, "A petition bearing the heartfelt wishes of some 140,000 residents of Yeongnam and Honam will be delivered to the National Assembly today," adding, "I hope the special act will be enacted during this regular session."

He also urged the government and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to take an active role, saying, "Enacting the special act will be an important turning point for the development of the Republic of Korea's space and aerospace industry and for cooperation between Yeongnam and Honam."

The rally was organized to call for the bill on the Special Act on the Construction and Support of Space and Aerospace Complex Cities to be referred to the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee's Legislation Review Subcommittee in November and passed within the year.

South Gyeongsang Province Governor Park Wansu speaks at a pan-national rally calling for the passage of a special act on a space and aviation complex city, held in front of the National Assembly. [Photo provided by Gyeongsangnam-do]

More than 500 people attended the rally, including local government officials such as Gyeongsangnam-do Governor Park Wan-soo, Kang Myeong-su, Vice Mayor for Industry and Economy of Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, Sacheon Mayor Park Dong-sik and Goheung County Governor Gong Young-min; National Assembly members Seo Cheon-ho and Moon Geum-ju, who co-sponsored the special act; Bok Ki-wang, chair of the National Assembly's Land Legislation Review Subcommittee, and committee members Jo In-cheol, Kim Jong-yang and Heo Young; city and provincial council speakers and vice speakers; city and county council members; the Seoul-based hometown association; and residents of Sacheon and Goheung.

They agreed that "the space and aerospace industry is not merely a future source of growth, but a key strategic industry that will shape national security and the competitiveness of advanced industries," and called for the special act to be enacted swiftly so they can "build a self-sustaining industrial ecosystem that combines Sacheon's strengths in space and aerospace manufacturing and research and development with Goheung's space launch vehicle infrastructure."

Afterward, Governor Park and other local government officials from Yeongnam and Honam, along with National Assembly members, delivered the petition signed by some 140,000 residents of the two regions to Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party; Jeong Jeom-sik, floor leader of the People Power Party; Han Byeong-do, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea; and Yu Eui-dong, chair of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, asking for their cooperation in passing the special act promptly.

Gyeongsangnam-do emphasized that building the Space and Aerospace Complex City is not merely a regional development project, but an industrial policy jointly pursued by Yeongnam and Honam and a strategy for balanced national development through cooperation.

The “Pan-National Rally of Yeongnam and Honam Regions Urging the Enactment of the Special Act on the Space and Aerospace Complex City” is being held on the steps in front of the National Assembly. [Photo provided by Gyeongsangnam-do]

The Special Act on the Space and Aerospace Complex City aims to link industry, research, education and residential functions around the Korea AeroSpace Administration, and establish an institutional foundation to support the sustained growth of the space and aerospace industry.

However, 11 months after the bill was introduced last December, its passage has been delayed, and it has yet to clear the National Assembly.

Gyeongsangnam-do, Sacheon City, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City and Goheung County are working together to secure passage of the special act in the National Assembly by the end of the year.

Gyeongsangnam-do plans to further strengthen cooperation with relevant local governments, including Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, as well as political and business groups, to ensure the special act is passed promptly and build a space and aerospace industrial belt along the southern coast. It will also devote all its administrative resources to the effort until the act is enacted.

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