Changwon Special City, Capturing "Two Rabbits" of Innovative Growth and Distribution

Creating Over 44,000 Jobs Through Growth
Building a Stronger Social Safety Net for All Groups

Recently, Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam has attracted attention as a model of growth and distribution by achieving the highest export performance in 12 years and increasing the number of workers for four consecutive years. At the same time, it is attempting innovative growth to build an economic foundation for the next 50 years in the Ma, Chang, and Jin zones, while also developing and promoting welfare policies so that the fruits of growth can be shared with the local community.

Hong Nampyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, is announcing the redevelopment plan for the semi-industrial area along Changwon Boulevard.

To establish an innovative growth economic foundation, Changwon City is promoting customized industrial restructuring by zone. The Changwon zone aims to create a “world-class manufacturing complex sought by youth,” the Masan zone specializes in advanced fields such as digital technology, AI, and drones, and the Jinhae zone is focused on “leaping into a smart port logistics city.”

First, to create a world-class manufacturing complex attractive to young people, the city is transforming the Changwon National Industrial Complex into the “Changwon Industrial Innovation Park,” with “innovation, eco-friendliness, learning, and vitality” as core values, embedding digital technology and culture into the complex to make it sustainable.

Moreover, with the selection of five major projects last year, including the hydrogen-based future mobility opportunity development zone and the regional digital hub creation project, it has become possible to build a high value-added industrial ecosystem alongside a sustainable industrial complex.

Additionally, the semi-industrial area along Changwon Boulevard is planned to be filled with advanced spaces where industry and culture converge, responding to future demand and diversifying usage to create a youthful and vibrant future-oriented industrial complex, while establishing a residential environment suited to young people's expectations.

The defense and nuclear fusion national industrial complex, which will become a twin engine alongside the Changwon National Industrial Complex, is a core project to lead Changwon into a world-class manufacturing city, and rapid follow-up measures and swift progress are underway.

The Masan zone seeks new growth engines through specialization in advanced fields such as digital technology, AI, and drones.

Aerial view of the Digital Masan Free Trade Zone.

Last year, the Masan Free Trade Zone was promoted to a national industrial complex and is working to secure national funding projects to strengthen the competitiveness of the industrial complex. In addition, Masan Marine New City was newly designated as the nation’s first digital free trade zone, and active responses are underway, including preliminary feasibility studies and related legal amendments to provide incentives for corporate attraction to expedite its development.

Bongam and Jungni Industrial Complexes are being transformed into advanced complexes where industry, residential, and commercial functions converge, and a specialized advanced industry complex focusing on drones and AI autonomous manufacturing is being established on the site of the relocated Changwon Prison.

In particular, the urban living complex in Masan Hoewon-gu, selected as a national and regional strategic project, is planned to be developed as a hub that revitalizes the local economy, culture, and transportation by linking with the Masan Station future-type transfer center and a self-sufficient complex administrative town.

The Jinhae zone is preparing to become one of the world’s top seven port logistics cities through smart ports.

Currently, the Jinhae zone is experiencing a new leap forward as smart port growth began in earnest with the opening of the New Port Pier 7 in April last year.

Accordingly, it is promoting the designation of an international logistics special zone based on the Triport (port, airport, railroad) centered on Jinhae New Port. In the first half of this year, a basic strategy for the international logistics special zone will be established to be reflected in the national smart logistics platform construction research promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

At the same time, the city is also expanding and developing the port hinterland complex. Especially, since the Jinhae New Port hinterland complex was selected as a national and regional strategic project led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, project implementation is expected to accelerate. The area will expand 2.7 times its original size, increasing its occupancy rate to 94.5% (existing 40.4 million m², additional 6.98 million m²), and is expected to grow into a key hub of the global port logistics industry.

The city is strengthening support across various sectors such as small business owners, seniors, people with disabilities, newlyweds, youth, and dual-income families, as well as creating jobs to build a thicker safety net for life, using the profits gained from growth.

First, since jobs are the best welfare, the city is expanding job supply. Changwon City announced a job plan this year aiming to create 44,452 jobs, a 15.8% increase from last year, focusing administrative power on expanding local employment.

Efforts are also being made to build infrastructure to meet diverse welfare demands. The “Changwon Mom Community Center” supporting dual-income families and the “Comprehensive Childcare Support Center” providing one-stop complex childcare services have opened, and six new public daycare centers will be established this year. Additionally, the third columbarium will open at the saturated Changwon Municipal Sangbok Park, and efforts are underway to improve rural production infrastructure and residential conditions.

To create a safe city against disasters, a dense citizen safety net is being established. Learning from the swift recovery from Typhoon Khanun damage in 2023, which resulted in no casualties during the extreme heavy rains in 2024, the city plans to promptly and permanently restore 130 facilities. In the mid-to-long term, plans include ▲improving aging sewage facilities ▲installing rainwater retention facilities in Myeongseo and Sinchon districts ▲maintaining flood-prone areas in Sinpo (Cheoksan) and Banjiji districts ▲and stabilizing landslide risk areas in Sinchon, Namyang, Jasan, Anmin Hill, and Pallyong districts.

Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, said, “Although it is a difficult task, we are building an economic foundation for innovative growth by zone to catch the two rabbits of growth and distribution, and we are also putting great effort into strengthening the social safety net so that the fruits of various growths can be returned to the local community. To enable early tangible changes, we will accelerate the pace of projects through organizational culture innovation characterized by flexible thinking, quick decisions, and rapid responses suitable for the VUCA era, and expand communication channels with the local community to create an even more seamless welfare system.”