Uljin-gun Wins Korea's Trusted Innovation Award for Three Consecutive Years

Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, received the Administrative Innovation Award for the third consecutive year at the ‘2024 Korea Trusted Innovation Awards’ ceremony held at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul on the 2nd.

Uljin County Office.

Hosted by JoongAng Ilbo and Forbes Korea, and sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and JTBC, the ‘Korea Trusted Innovation Awards’ is given to public institutions and companies that have contributed to the national economy by creating new paradigms through creative innovation and challenges. This year marks its 9th edition.

Uljin-gun was highly evaluated for leading the paradigm of Korea’s nuclear hydrogen industry, proposing solutions to overcome the crisis of local extinction, and contributing to enhancing national competitiveness.

Judging the nuclear hydrogen industry, which produces hydrogen using abundant electricity from the world’s largest number of 10 nuclear power plants, as a future growth engine, Uljin-gun proactively proposed the establishment of a national industrial complex to the government. It quickly secured companies to move into the national industrial complex by signing business agreements with leading domestic anchor companies, and actively conducted attraction activities to strengthen competitiveness as a candidate site for the national industrial complex, including hosting policy forums and persuading the government and the National Assembly.

As a result, in June, it achieved the exemption from preliminary feasibility study for new national industrial complex candidate sites for the first time. This means that the government recognized that the Uljin Nuclear Hydrogen National Industrial Complex has sufficient demand for occupancy and significant economic ripple effects, confirming it as a national policy project, which is expected to accelerate the development of the industrial complex.

Also, through the hydrogen city creation project, selected for the first time at the county level in September, Uljin-gun plans to lead Korea’s carbon neutrality by establishing a virtuous cycle system that utilizes hydrogen produced locally in daily life.

Uljin-gun will establish itself as Korea’s clean energy hub where jobs overflow and people gather through the complementary effects of the nuclear hydrogen national industrial complex and the hydrogen city creation project.

At the same time, through a major transformation of foundational industries such as agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, it is creating a sustainable local economic structure that guarantees stable income and jobs for all residents.

County Governor Son Byung-bok said, “Through continuous renewal and innovation, we will enhance the trust of residents and do our best to make Uljin a prosperous and happy place for all residents.”