Promotion of Key Projects to Secure Future Growth Engines for 2025
Lee Wanseop, Mayor of Seosan, Chungnam, and staff from the Future Strategy Department are taking a commemorative photo on September 4th to celebrate securing 15 billion won in national funding for the hydrogen city development project. / Seosan City
After the launch of the 8th popularly elected administration, Seosan City in South Chungcheong Province established a new department, the Future Strategy Office, to secure future growth engines. This department is now accelerating the creation of strategic mid- to long-term visions and driving innovative achievements.
In its inaugural year last year, the department led several achievements, including the selection for the Carbon Capture Utilization (CCU) Demonstration Support Center project, attracting international cruise ships calling from Japan and Taiwan, and being chosen for the Higher Vocational Education Base District (HIVE) project.
This year, building on last year’s achievements and focusing administrative efforts, Seosan Daesan Port successfully welcomed the first international cruise ship in the Chungcheong region, laying the foundation for its rise as an international logistics hub.
Additionally, Seosan was selected as one of Korea’s seven major cruise ports, establishing itself as a new international tourism city on the west coast. A second international cruise ship is scheduled to depart from Seosan Daesan Port as its home port in May next year.
The city also succeeded in attracting the Green UAM·AAV Core Component Test and Evaluation Center for performance verification and evaluation of key components related to Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Advanced Air Vehicles (AAV), proving its potential as a hub for high-tech industries.
Seosan also secured designation as the “3rd Hydrogen City” under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, laying the groundwork to become an eco-friendly city based on hydrogen energy.
Through this project, the city will actively promote the Hydrogen City Development Project over the next four years, utilizing hydrogen energy in various sectors such as housing, transportation, and infrastructure starting next year.
The city was also finally designated as an Opportunity Development Zone, which will help revitalize the local economy by attracting businesses and accelerating the creation of an advanced chemical cluster within the Daesan Green Complex.
National funding was also secured for the creation of a 160-kilometer ecological trail connecting Seosan and Taean, laying the foundation for turning Garorimman, one of the world’s top five mudflats, into a national marine ecological park.
The Seosan Airport construction project is said to have taken its first substantial step toward opening the skies of South Chungcheong, presenting the necessity and vision of the project through strategic seminars and community briefings.
Next year, the city will continue to pursue various key projects for mid- to long-term development, including attracting a Seosan branch of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, bringing in an eco-friendly foamed material demonstration support center, and registering the Garorimman mudflat as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.
In response to a feasibility re-examination for the Seosan branch of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, the city will establish a basis for the project and enhance its potential as a center for biotechnology research.
Additionally, the city plans to attract an eco-friendly foamed material demonstration support center, which will support reliability assessments and other measures to commercialize production technology for eco-friendly bio-materials.
By registering the Garorimman mudflat as a World Natural Heritage site and establishing a spotted seal rescue center, Seosan aims to further preserve its ecological value and brand itself as an eco-tourism destination.
In particular, the city plans to establish a master plan for the creation of a National Garden in Seosan, so that all generations can relax and enjoy.
To secure future growth engines, Seosan will also seek designation of a new national industrial complex in its coastal area and conduct research for the creation of a manned and unmanned aerial mobility cluster.
Furthermore, by operating the Next-generation Chemical Council, the city will plan various research and development (R&D) projects to strengthen the chemical industry base and complete basic plans for fostering future advanced strategic industries.
Next year’s basic research projects will help discover future growth engines within the city and establish strategies for new industrial development.
To strengthen its position as a logistics hub on the west coast, the city will make every effort to ensure that the Daesanhang Line is included in the 5th National Railway Network Construction Plan, along with the extension of the Central East-West Cross-country Railway and the Naepo Taean Railway.
Seosan Mayor Lee Wanseop stated, “Based on our achievements so far, in 2025 we plan to focus even more on securing new future growth engines, embracing the philosophy of ‘Beopgochangsin (Law and Tradition, Creation and Innovation)’ in city administration. We will do our utmost to make Seosan a more livable city by delivering tangible results.”
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