President Moon Jae-in Encourages Entrepreneurs Visiting Gumi Industrial Complex... "Self-Reliance Cannot Be the Solution During Infectious Disease Fears"
[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] On the 1st, President Moon Jae-in visited the 'Gumi Industrial Complex,' a symbolic space for overcoming Japan's export restrictions, to reaffirm the determination to overcome the 'novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).' In particular, President Moon focused on the fact that the 'Special Act on Materials, Parts, and Equipment Industry' came into effect on the same day, encouraging businesspeople to overcome the COVID-19 crisis just as they overcame last year's Japanese export restrictions.
President Moon said, "The power of solidarity and cooperation demonstrated by the Gumi Industrial Complex is an excellent model case for overcoming COVID-19. I hope it spreads nationwide and becomes a source of strength for many companies and citizens." He added, "Only solidarity and cooperation are the answers to overcoming COVID-19," and "When the fear of infectious diseases is great, it is easy to fall into the temptation of isolation, disconnection, and self-reliance, but this can never be a solution."
Accompanying President Moon on his visit were Sung Yun-mo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy; Park Young-sun, Minister of SMEs and Startups; Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk; and Jang Se-yong, Mayor of Gumi. Officials from the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation were also present.
Han Jeong-woo, Chief of the Blue House Press Office, explained, "The slogan for President Moon's visit to the Gumi Industrial Complex is 'The resilience of the Korean economy, the DNA of overcoming crises,'" adding, "This schedule embodies the government's and companies' determination to overcome the COVID-19 crisis by joining forces, just as they overcame the crisis of materials and parts due to Japan's export restrictions."
Although one-third of the workers at the Gumi Industrial Complex commute from Daegu, the crisis is being overcome by thoroughly implementing quarantine measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 confirmed cases and minimize production disruptions. As of the 30th of last month, 16 COVID-19 confirmed cases occurred in 10 companies, but the factories are operating normally.
Kolon Industries, the first company in the Gumi Industrial Complex, attracted attention by converting its medical filter facilities into mask MB filter facilities and supplying production quantities free of charge to mask companies. It also donated a modular negative pressure treatment ward (24 beds, worth 2.5 billion KRW) to the Seoul National University Hospital Talent Center in Mungyeong, Gyeongbuk.
President Moon inspected Kolon Industries' COVID-19 response situation and toured the 'fluorinated polyimide production line,' one of the three major items subject to Japan's export restrictions.
Meanwhile, President Moon held a meeting with representatives of companies located in the Gumi Industrial Complex to listen to their difficulties. The meeting included representatives from Kolon Industries, SL Tech, LG Innotek, Indang, Ajou Steel, Youngjin High-Tech, Intops, and the chairman of the Kolon Industries labor union.
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