Busan 'UN Peace and Culture Special Zone' Selected as Best Special Zone of the Year

Sculpture installed in the UN Peace and Culture Special Zone.
[Photo by Busan Nam-gu Office]

The UN Peace and Culture Special Zone located in Nam-gu, Busan, was selected as the best special zone of the year among 181 specialized zones nationwide.

On the 11th, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups held the '2023 Regional Specialized Development Zone Performance Sharing Meeting' at the Busan UN Peace Memorial Hall. This event recognized outstanding specialized zones that have led regional development despite the risk of regional extinction.

Among 181 specialized zones nationwide, the UN Peace and Culture Special Zone in Nam-gu, Busan, was selected as the best special zone and received the Presidential Award. Nam-gu, Busan, created an image of a peace city that protects world peace and freedom through the preservation project of the UN Memorial Park. It linked regulatory exceptions under the Road Traffic Act and the Act on Urban Parks and Green Areas with the cultural tourism industry. Additionally, by revitalizing youth startups such as the Youth Creative Development Center, it developed into a global tourist attraction that combines history, culture, tourism, and startups, attracting 1.15 million domestic and international tourists annually.

Two Prime Minister's Awards went to the Herbal Well-being Special Zone in Jecheon, Chungbuk, and the Jangsaengpo Whale Culture Special Zone in Nam-gu, Ulsan. The Herbal Well-being Special Zone contributed to regional economic revitalization by creating a Korean Medicine Bio Cluster with small business owners in the cultivation, processing, and distribution of herbs and the College of Korean Medicine, receiving regulatory exceptions under the National Land Planning and Utilization Act and the Patent Act, and hosting a Korean Medicine Bio Expo. The Jangsaengpo Whale Culture Special Zone utilized regulatory exceptions under the Museum and Art Gallery Promotion Act and the Outdoor Advertisement Management and Outdoor Advertisement Industry Promotion Act to contribute to the fusion of cultural facilities by promoting local tourism using natural ecology (whales) and forming a cultural and artistic creative village.

In addition, the Jangryu Industry Special Zone in Sunchang, Jeonbuk; the Chestnut Special Zone in Gongju, Chungnam; the Seaweed and Abalone Industry Special Zone in Wando, Jeonnam; the International Education Special Zone in Cheonan, Chungnam; the Rice Industry Special Zone in Yeoju, Gyeonggi; and the Railroad Special Zone in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, received awards from the Minister of SMEs and Startups. From this year, the Ministry improved the execution method of prize money, which was previously focused on expenses, to support new specialized projects involving many local small businesses and SMEs.

At the innovation forum held alongside the awards ceremony, a flagship project case was presented where many small businesses and SMEs within a specialized zone, along with the public and private sectors, jointly invested. A case was introduced where an old barge was transformed into a new concept lifestyle linked with housing, culture, and leisure, creating a tourist attraction, which drew significant interest from attendees.

Lim Jeong-wook, Director of the Startup and Venture Innovation Office at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, stated, "Regional Specialized Development Zones play a very important role in revitalizing local economies at risk of extinction. Next year, we will support the improvement of systems and the discovery of region-specific specialized models, introduce flagship projects involving many local small businesses and SMEs with joint public-private investment, and help specialized zones become global tourist attractions beyond Korea."