Jinju City Accelerates Development of Aerospace Industry as the 'Third Miracle'

Development of Small Satellites and Establishment of Space Environment Test Facilities
Steady Progress with MOUs with Leading Global Companies
Building AAV Production Base and Aerospace Infrastructure
Attracting Companies to Lead the Future Aviation Industry

Jinju City in Gyeongnam is creating the 'third miracle' that will lead Jinju for the next 100 years through proactive and bold investments in the space and aerospace industry sector.

The first miracle was defending the nation through the Jinju Battle, and the second miracle was the birth of global companies such as LG, GS, Samsung, and Hyosung based on the 'Jinju K-Entrepreneurship Spirit.' Now, for the third miracle, Jinju is accelerating efforts to foster the space and aerospace industry, taking the establishment of the Space and Aerospace Administration in western Gyeongnam as an opportunity to become a leading city in this field.

Jinju City recognizes the space and future aviation sectors as new growth engines that can change the city's future destiny and is focusing on nurturing related industries.

Bird's-eye view of Jinju KAI Rotary Wing Flight Center.

The space and future aviation sectors are knowledge- and technology-intensive industries that integrate cutting-edge science and technology. They are high value-added industries expected to create various new jobs in the future. By fostering these sectors, the city is striving to create quality jobs and contribute to revitalizing the local economy.

So far, the city has implemented various policies to build a foundation for the space industry and to leap forward as a hub city for space industry. Since 2019, Jinju became the first basic local government to develop a small satellite, and last November, it launched the first-phase satellite 'JINJUSat-1.' To retry orbital entry, 'JINJUSat-1B' is being produced and scheduled for launch in February 2025. The second-phase satellite, 'JINJUSat-2,' to be launched in 2027, will be about three times larger than the first-phase satellite, and local companies will participate in areas such as parts supply, technical support, and satellite utilization.

In the field of talent cultivation, the city provided administrative and financial support to help Gyeongsang National University be selected as a glocal leading university in the space, aerospace, and defense sectors last year. Together with the university, Jinju is collaborating on various initiatives such as supporting the Future Space Education Center, developing core technologies for manned-unmanned complex systems, supporting the Leading Research Center for Core Aviation Technologies, and supporting the Jinju Small and Strong R&D Special Zone. In the future, Jinju plans to support Gyeongsang National University in closely cooperating with universities, research institutes, and industries inside and outside the region to become a hub university for the space, aerospace, and defense sectors.

Based on these achievements, in December last year, Gyeongnam Province, including Jinju City, was designated by the Ministry of Science and ICT as a satellite-specialized district, one axis of the space industry cluster triangle (Gyeongnam, Jeonnam, Daejeon), and is now promoting the construction of a space environment testing facility.

The Space Environment Testing Facility Construction Project will expand the infrastructure of the Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL) Space Parts Testing Center in Sangdae-dong, Jinju, and relocate it to the Jinju District of the Gyeongnam Aviation National Industrial Complex in Jeongchon-myeon. The total project cost is 217.8 billion KRW. In August last year, the National R&D Project Evaluation General Committee confirmed an exemption from the preliminary feasibility study, and after reviewing project validity, full-scale implementation will begin this year.

To provide legal and institutional support for fostering the space and aerospace industry, the city promoted the revision of the "Jinju City Ordinance on the Promotion and Support of the Aerospace Industry." This revision passed the 256th 1st Regular Session of the Jinju City Council on the 24th and is set to take effect in July. In line with the opening of the Space and Aerospace Administration, the city is preparing grounds for supporting the settlement of relocated employees and is doing its best to improve systems, including stipulating necessary support for attracting related public institutions.

Additionally, to align with national and regional plans for the space, aerospace, and future aviation mobility industries, and to develop projects and feasibility logic suited to Jinju's industrial, environmental, and geographical characteristics, the city is conducting the "Jinju City Basic Plan for the Fostering of Space, Aerospace, and Future Aviation Mobility Industries" until August this year. Based on the results, Jinju will derive its own distinctive development direction.

The city is also actively attracting companies in the space and aerospace sector. Currently, 39 space and aerospace companies are located in Jinju, including in the Innovation City industry-academia-research cluster (Complex Innovation Center, Dream IT Valley, Wingstower, Korea Ceramic Technology Institute Startup Incubation Center), as well as in Mangyeong-dong Jinju Knowledge Industry Center, Jeongchon Industrial Complex, and Root Industrial Complex.

In April, four space companies?Walkerinspace, Soltop, Ablemax, and Meisa Planet?signed investment attraction MOUs with the city and are set to move into the Jinju Innovation City Complex Innovation Center. Starting with this, the city plans to attract more space-related companies and build a space industry ecosystem centered on Jinju.

Furthermore, with the opening of the Space and Aerospace Administration and the completion of the Gyeongnam Aviation National Industrial Complex in Jeongchon-myeon in the second half of the year, the demand for space and aerospace company occupancy is expected to increase significantly. The city plans to provide support facilities for space and aerospace companies in the aviation industrial complex through national funding projects and other means.

To foster the future aviation sector, which has enormous growth potential, the city has formed the "UAM Jinju" council and signed various MOUs, including the "MOU for Fostering the UAM Industry," "MOU for Promoting the AAV (Advanced Air Vehicle) Demonstration Center Construction Project," and "MOU for Establishing the Korean Future Aviation Mobility Industry Ecosystem," collaborating with various institutions.

Additionally, in the Gasan Industrial Complex area of Ibanseong-myeon, the city is promoting the construction of an "AAV Demonstration Center" where research, demonstration tests, and flight tests for AAVs can be comprehensively verified. The center will cover 11,000 square meters with a total project cost of 29.4 billion KRW and is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2025.

The city plans to connect the "AAV Demonstration Center" with the "KAI Rotary Wing Flight Center" to attract AAV manufacturing companies and to concentrate companies and institutions so that the entire process?from material and component certification support, airframe production, demonstration tests, flight tests, to airframe certification?can be carried out in one place, establishing the nation's first AAV production base and leading the domestic flying car, or UAM, industry.

On the 17th, Jinju Mayor Cho Kyu-il visited the Space and Aerospace Administration and met with Commissioner Yoon Youngbin and Deputy Commissioner Noh Kyungwon. During the meeting, Mayor Cho promised active support for the successful establishment of the Space and Aerospace Administration and expressed his intention to assist in various fields so that the agency can fully focus on helping Korea become one of the world's top five space powers.

On the 11th, a Jinju City delegation visited Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, and signed an MOU with the city and the Sao Jose dos Campos Technology Innovation Park (PIT) to cooperate in the space and aerospace industry sector. Sao Jose dos Campos is known as a global aviation city, home to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), the largest space research institute in South America, and Embraer, the world's third-largest aircraft manufacturer, as well as other aircraft factories.

In this agreement, both cities agreed to actively cooperate in fostering the space and aerospace industry, provide administrative support for business exchanges, and promote talent exchanges among research institutions, educational institutions, and organizations. In particular, Jinju City plans to establish an international cooperation system, not only signing MOUs with overseas companies but also providing quality jobs for local university students and supporting the growth of local companies.

On May 7, Gyeongnam Province set the vision of "Global Capital of Space and Aerospace, Gyeongsangnam-do" and announced a plan to invest 8.3845 trillion KRW by 2033, aiming to increase production by five times, foster 20 leading companies, expand industry employment by 53,340 people, and nurture 30 innovative startups.

On May 27, at the opening ceremony of the Space and Aerospace Administration, which will lead Korea to become one of the world's top five space and aerospace powers, President Yoon Suk-yeol announced that the related budget would be increased to over 1.5 trillion KRW by 2027, fostering 1,000 space companies, of which more than 10 will grow into world-class space companies.

With the government pledging active support for the space and aerospace sector, the city now has the opportunity to leap forward as a leading city in the space and aerospace industry. Going forward, the city plans to provide even bolder administrative and financial support so that space companies can invest in Jinju and participate in the space and aerospace competition.