Governor Kim Young-rok, "Goheung, Wings of the Aerospace Industry Hub"

Jeonnam Province Provides 972.9 Billion KRW in National and Provincial Funding Over the Past 4 Years for Space Industry Specialized Complexes

[Goheung=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shim Jeong-woo] Jeollanam-do announced on the 15th that it is fostering Goheung as a hub for the aerospace industry to realize the dream of space development in the new space era led by private companies.

To this end, Jeonnam Province is supporting various fields including the establishment of a National Comprehensive Flight Performance Test Center, the promotion of a special drone deregulation zone, the creation of a space industry and drone specialized complex, the development of a Smart Farm Innovation Valley, the construction of the Goheung-Yeosu Baekri Seomseom-gil (Hundred Islands Road), the upgrade of national roads such as the Goheung Geogeum-Wando Gogeum land and island bridges, and the construction of the Gwangju-Goheung Expressway.

In the past four years up to this year, the amount of national and provincial funding support has reached 972.9 billion won for more than 30 projects.

Jeonnam Province is nurturing Goheung, which has the Naro Space Center, the largest domestic flight test airspace of 380㎢, and infrastructure such as an aviation center, as a hub for the drone and aviation industry.

To this end, a National Comprehensive Flight Performance Test Center is being established on reclaimed land in Goheung Bay. This is a national project for performance verification, test evaluation, and certification of aircraft under research and development or being modified for performance improvement, and it is the first comprehensive flight performance test facility for manned and unmanned aircraft in the country.

Jeonnam is also promoting the nation’s first special drone deregulation zone project. By 2022, with an investment of 1.2 billion won, projects such as demonstration of medium and large unmanned aerial vehicles, manned island cargo transport, and ultra-wide area quarantine demonstration are being promoted, expected to serve as a catalyst for Goheung to emerge as the largest drone industry hub in Korea.

In addition, various space industry and drone specialized complex projects are being promoted, including the expansion of the Naro Space Center Space Science Museum, development of core technologies for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) autonomous flight and flight safety and operability test evaluation technologies, development and demonstration of long-distance flight frequency (433MHz) drone communication technology, 5G-based drone smart farming demonstration projects, and Korean-style urban air mobility system projects.

Jeonnam Province is also attracting and developing the Smart Farm Innovation Valley project in Goheung to lead the 4th industrial revolution in agriculture. Over four years until 2022, with an investment of 109.9 billion won, a youth incubation center, rental-type smart farm complexes, and demonstration complexes will be established on 33 hectares of reclaimed land in Dodeok-myeon, Goheung, focusing on nurturing promising export items. The goal is to create a world-class youth startup model.

Furthermore, to revitalize marine stay tourism and ports, projects such as the construction of the Goheung-Yeosu Baekri Seomseom-gil connecting 11 sea bridges, the upgrade of national roads including the Goheung Geogeum-Wando Gogeum land and island bridges, the Saonjeon Port and Deokheung Port among six fishing villages’ New Deal 300 projects, and various support projects to improve accessibility such as the construction of the Gwangju-Goheung Expressway, national road facility improvements between Yeongnam and Palyoung, and local road expansion and paving between Gwaryeok and Namyang are being carried out.

Governor Kim Young-rok said, “Goheung is the optimal place for the drone and aviation industry with the Naro Space Center and the largest domestic flight test airspace, and a tourist attraction where the longest inland coastline in the country and about 230 densely packed islands harmonize. We will actively support its growth as a center for future promising industries such as aerospace, smart agriculture, and marine stay tourism.”

Goheung=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shim Jeong-woo sevenshim@asiae.co.kr