Yoon: "2.6 Trillion Won Invested in Jeonnam Autobahn Construction... Development of Southern Region Wide-Area Tourism"

Presiding over the 20th Public Discussion in Muan, Jeonnam
Construction of Ultra-High-Speed Highway on Yeongam-Gwangju 47km Section
"Making Jeonnam a Hub for South Korea's Space Industry"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 20th "Public Livelihood Discussion with the People" held on the 14th at Jeonnam Provincial Office in Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do, under the theme "Jeonnam Leaping Forward Vigorously with Future Industries and Culture." [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol announced on the 14th, "We will invest approximately 2.6 trillion won to construct a superhighway similar to Germany's Autobahn along the 47 km stretch from Yeongam to Gwangju." The plan aims to significantly enhance accessibility to the southern coast region of Jeollanam-do by expanding social overhead capital (SOC) infrastructure such as roads, railways, and transportation. In particular, as part of the southern regional wide-area tourism development project, 1.3 trillion won will be invested in Jeollanam-do to make it a destination that everyone wants to visit.

On the same day, President Yoon presided over the 20th public discussion forum titled "Jeonnam's vigorous leap forward through future industries and culture" at the Jeollanam-do Provincial Office in Muan County, Jeollanam-do, stating, "We will revitalize Jeonnam through industry, culture, and education." This was the first time President Yoon visited the Jeonnam region for a public discussion forum.

In his opening remarks, President Yoon emphasized, "We must form a metropolitan economic zone through the activation of tourism and expansion of living areas in Jeonnam," adding, "Expanding SOC infrastructure such as roads, railways, and transportation to support this is key."

First, a superhighway similar to Germany's Autobahn will be constructed along the 47 km section from Yeongam to Gwangju. By accelerating the construction of the Gwangju-Gangjin Expressway (51.1 km) currently under construction, the Gangjin-Wando Expressway (38.9 km) under preliminary feasibility study, and the Jeolla Line from Iksan to Yeosu (180 km), accessibility to the southern coastal region of Jeollanam-do will be dramatically improved, laying the foundation for tourism and future industrial development in Jeonnam.

President Yoon said, "There are many complaints that the Jeolla Line high-speed railway is not functioning properly due to its slow speed," and added, "We will invest more than 1 trillion won to improve the speed of the Jeolla Line high-speed railway and do our best to enhance it."

To innovate industrial infrastructure and foster future industries, efforts will be accelerated to automate Gwangyang Port through the establishment of a port automation testbed and to domestically produce key equipment.

Additionally, Jeonnam will be developed as a hub for South Korea's space industry. As part of the space industry cluster triangular system project exempted from preliminary feasibility study (Jeonnam - launch vehicles, Gyeongnam - satellites, Daejeon - research and talent development), a private launch site and assembly building will be established in Goheung, along with a promise to build a launch vehicle technology commercialization center. The exemption of the preliminary feasibility study for the Goheung space launch vehicle national industrial complex will be actively pursued so that related companies can conveniently carry out commercialization, testing, evaluation, and certification procedures in Goheung.

Furthermore, for regions in Jeonnam with high development potential such as secondary batteries and content sectors, the government plans to actively support the designation of opportunity development zones, aiming to make Jeonnam a base for future industries.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 20th "Public Livelihood Discussion" held on the 14th at Jeonnam Provincial Office in Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do, under the theme "Jeonnam Leaping Forward Vigorously with Future Industries and Culture."
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon stated, "The government will make comprehensive efforts to support Jeonnam's competitive agriculture, livestock, and fisheries industries." Plans are underway to establish a foundation for an AI-based advanced agriculture and livestock convergence complex in the Muan and Hampyeong areas. Through this, an agriculture and livestock model utilizing AI and big data will be created to attract young people into the agricultural sector, generate jobs, and revitalize rural areas.

In Mokpo, the government will actively support the export of seaweed, a new food industry in Jeonnam, by establishing a seafood export complex and expanding seafood processing and distribution centers. By using decommissioned fishing vessels to continuously remove illegal fishing gear from China, the government plans to support the recovery of marine resources for Jeonnam fishermen.

President Yoon emphasized, "To retain and attract talent necessary for Jeonnam's industrial development, cultural and educational infrastructure must be newly upgraded." The government plans to invest 1.3 trillion won in Jeonnam as part of the southern regional wide-area tourism development project and has selected Suncheon City and Jindo County as cultural cities of South Korea to play leading roles.

Suncheon, known worldwide as a garden city, is promised to be developed into a cultural content industry hub where youth jobs can be created and a representative city of the local era. Through the establishment of an animation cluster and support for content production, investment attraction, distribution, and promotion by related public institutions, it will be developed into a core infrastructure for the 'K-Disney.'

President Yoon said, "In February, seven basic local governments including Gwangyang, Naju, Mokpo, Muan, Sinan, Yeongam, and Gangjin were selected as pilot areas for education development zones," adding, "By intensively nurturing personnel closely related to regional development strategies such as new materials in Gwangyang, energy in Naju, marine tourism in Mokpo, Muan, and Sinan, and future agricultural life industries in Yeongam and Gangjin, a virtuous cycle system will be established where talents nurtured in Jeonnam continuously develop the region."

The forum was attended by businesspeople related to advanced future industries such as aerospace and secondary batteries in Jeonnam, parents, local residents, and members of the Jeonnam Local Era Committee. From the government side, Woo Dong-gi, chairman of the Local Era Committee, Jang Mi-ran, 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and from local governments, Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeollanam-do, Kim Dae-jung, Superintendent of Jeollanam-do Education Office, and from the Presidential Office, about 100 people including Sung Tae-yoon, Chief of Policy Office, Park Chun-seop, Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs, Jang Sang-yoon, Senior Secretary for Social Affairs, and Park Sang-wook, Senior Secretary for Science and Technology, participated together.