Assemblyman Song Gap-seok: "Only 1% of Knowledge Industry Center Tenants in Honam Region Nationwide"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The occupancy rate of companies in knowledge industry centers in the Honam region was found to be 1%, ranking among the lowest nationwide.

On the 22nd, according to the "Status of Regional-Led Knowledge Industry Center Establishment" submitted by the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade to Assemblyman Song Gap-seok (Democratic Party of Korea, Gwangju Seo-gu Gap), as of the end of May last year, there were a total of 1,072 knowledge industry centers nationwide with 33,718 companies occupying them. Among these, 28,137 companies, accounting for 83.4%, were concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area.

The Yeongnam region had the second highest number of companies occupying knowledge industry centers at 13.8% (4,651 companies), followed by the Chungcheong region at 1.7% (576 companies), the Honam region at 1.0% (322 companies), and the Gangwon-Jeju region at 0.1% (32 companies).

In particular, the number of employees in companies occupying knowledge industry centers in the Honam and Gangwon-Jeju regions recorded the lowest figures at 1,995 and 273 respectively.

Companies occupying knowledge industry centers receive benefits such as a 50% reduction in acquisition tax and a 37.5% reduction in property tax, making them popular among small business owners and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Recently, conditions have improved to the extent that dormitories, neighborhood facilities, and commercial spaces have also moved in. However, this concentration in the Seoul metropolitan area has been criticized for neglecting support for regional small and medium-sized enterprises.

Assemblyman Song said, "As demand for knowledge industry centers increases, the government and local governments are providing financial support for the construction of 'regionally led public rental knowledge industry centers,' but support is still insufficient in non-metropolitan areas." He added, "The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, which oversees knowledge industry centers under the Industrial Cluster Act, should operate regionally led public rental knowledge industry centers in a balanced manner and prepare measures to establish a virtuous cycle system that leads to job creation and regional economic revitalization."