Kim Nam-il, Deputy Mayor of Pohang City, Makes All-Out Effort to Secure National Funding for Future New Industries

Emphasis on the Need for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cluster and Secondary Battery Specialized Complex

Full Effort to Discover Secondary Battery, Hydrogen, Bio, and New Growth Businesses and Secure National Funding

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] On the 13th, Kim Nam-il, Vice Mayor of Pohang City, visited the Government Sejong Complex and met with officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to actively propose that Pohang City be selected for key projects that will lead the next 100 years.

Vice Mayor Kim Nam-il met with Yoo Hyung-seon, Director of the Feasibility Review Division at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and requested that the preliminary feasibility study for the ongoing Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Generation Cluster Construction Project be approved.

He also emphasized the foundation of Pohang’s eco-friendly hydrogen energy industrial city, the only city in Gyeongbuk Province designated as a ‘Hydrogen City,’ and asked for cooperation to ensure the cluster construction project is carried out.

Deputy Mayor Kim Nam-il is meeting with Yoo Hyung-seon, Head of the Feasibility Review Division at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, to request the final approval of the preliminary feasibility study for the hydrogen fuel cell power generation cluster construction project.

The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Generation Cluster Construction Project plans to invest 189 billion KRW over five years from this year until 2027 to establish a hydrogen fuel cell enterprise support center, including 30 specialized hydrogen companies, 20 types of performance evaluation equipment for parts and materials, and a fuel cell demonstration complex.

Following this, Vice Mayor Kim met with Yang Ki-wook, Director of the Industrial Supply Chain Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and proposed that Pohang City be designated as the ‘Secondary Battery Specialized Complex,’ which is currently open for applications.

At the meeting, Vice Mayor Kim emphasized that Pohang hosts globally competitive battery companies such as EcoPro and POSCO Chemical, and has secured the optimal foundation for selection as a specialized complex through cluster and related infrastructure development. He explained that designation as a battery specialized complex would make Pohang an ideal location to lead the ‘K-Battery’ industry, promote balanced regional development, and contribute to national economic growth.

Kim Nam-il, Vice Mayor of Pohang City, stated, “We will accelerate the cultivation of new growth industries as a century-long plan for future food sources. We will proactively discover promising new growth businesses such as secondary batteries, hydrogen, and bio, and devote all efforts to securing related national funding.”