This Year's Best Special Zone is 'Gyeongbuk Yeongcheon Hanbang Garlic Industry Special Zone'

The 53rd Regional Specialized Development Zone Committee Meeting Held

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Lee Young) announced on the 9th that through the 53rd Regional Specialized Development Zone Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee, held in writing), it has approved a total of eight agenda items, including this year's regional zone operation performance evaluation results, one plan change for a specialized zone, and six cancellations of designated zones.

First, by evaluating the operational performance of 184 specialized zones nationwide last year, the 'Gyeongbuk Yeongcheon Oriental Medicine and Garlic Industry Specialized Zone' was selected as the best specialized zone. The 'Jeonnam Hwasun Vaccine Industry Specialized Zone' and 'Ansan Multicultural Village Specialized Zone' were selected as excellent specialized zones.

The excellent regional specialized zones selected this time all created visible achievements in sales and employment through fostering specialized local resources. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to reward the selected excellent regional specialized zones at the performance exchange meeting in December and will provide a total prize money of 800 million KRW.

At this Committee meeting, a plan change for the Seoul 'Nowon International Education Specialized Zone,' which includes an investment plan of 191.3 billion KRW, was also approved. Through this plan change, the Nowon International Education Specialized Zone will be renamed as the Nowon Future Talent Development Education Specialized Zone, add projects to foster basic science fields such as foreign languages, mathematics, and science to respond to the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, and implement new regulatory exemptions including those related to the Road Traffic Act.

Minister Lee Young said, "I hope that the plan change for the regional specialized zones will invigorate the region through active investment and new employment by local governments," and added, "We will also do our best to support and promote the nine zones designated as excellent specialized zones."