The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the morning of the 24th that it held the '50th Anniversary Ceremony of the Designation of Changwon National Industrial Complex' at the Changwon Convention Center, attended by about 400 people including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, First Vice Minister of Industry Kang Kyung-sung, Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do Park Wan-su, Mayor of Changwon Special City Hong Nam-pyo, Chairman of Korea Industrial Complex Corporation Lee Sang-hoon, and representatives of companies located in the Changwon National Industrial Complex.
Since its launch in April 1974, the Changwon National Industrial Complex has been the center of the machinery industry, the backbone of Korea's manufacturing sector, leading the rapid growth of key industries such as nuclear power, defense, automobiles, and shipbuilding. The production value of resident companies, which was only 1.5 billion won in 1975, increased 40,000 times to a record high of 60 trillion won in 2023. During the same period, exports also increased 30,000 times from 600,000 dollars to 18.3 billion dollars. Production and exports rank 4th among all national industrial complexes.
The number of resident companies increased from 44 to 2,965. By industry, companies are distributed as machinery (51%), electrical and electronics (20%), and transportation equipment (8%). There are key production bases for nuclear power and K-defense industries such as Doosan Enerbility, LG Electronics, Hanwha Aerospace, and Hyundai Rotem.
At this ceremony, awards were also presented to 16 distinguished individuals, including representatives of resident companies who have grown alongside the Changwon National Industrial Complex and contributed to the national and regional economy.
The highest honor, the Bronze Tower Industrial Medal, was awarded to Jeon Seo-hoon, CEO of Samkwang Machinery Industry, who succeeded in the localization development of armored vehicle transmissions, contributing to K-defense exports to Saudi Arabia, Poland, and job creation. CEO Jeon has been practicing win-win cooperation and sharing with local residents and companies while serving as the chairman of the Changwon National Industrial Complex Employers' Association.
In the afternoon, a unveiling ceremony for a symbolic sculpture and an inscription stone commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Changwon National Industrial Complex will be held. For the inscription stone, President Yoon Suk-yeol will present a handwritten calligraphy reading "Cradle of Industrial Power, Changwon National Industrial Complex" to celebrate and encourage the 50th anniversary of the Changwon National Industrial Complex.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stated, "The half-century history of the Changwon National Industrial Complex is the history of Korea's economic growth achieved through a successful transition from light industry to heavy and chemical industries," adding, "The government will work hard together with local communities and industries to successfully move toward the future of digital transformation and fostering new industries."
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