Mayor Kim Dong-geun: "Attracting High-Tech Industry Investment... Creating a City Full of Jobs"

Uijeongbu City Selected as Final Candidate for Free Economic Zone
A Major Shift from Security Hub to Economic and Industrial Center
Laying the Foundation for an Advanced Industry Hub Utilizing Returned U.S. Military Land
Expecting Synergy in Attracting Businesses through Regulatory Easing and Investment Incentives

Uijeongbu City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Dong-geun) has secured a foothold for entering the Free Economic Zone by being finally selected as a candidate site for additional designation of the Free Economic Zone after fierce competition.

A view of Uijeongbu City Hall. Provided by Uijeongbu City.

According to Uijeongbu City on the 16th, Gyeonggi Province announced the final selection of three candidate sites, including Uijeongbu City, out of five local governments that participated in the competition. It is expected to be a turning point for Uijeongbu City to leap forward as a growth hub in the northern metropolitan area by establishing an advanced industrial base.

The Free Economic Zone is a special zone aimed at strengthening national competitiveness and balanced regional development, promoting foreign investment attraction and the concentration of advanced industries. It is exempt from various regulations under the Capital Region Readjustment Planning Act and offers various incentives such as tax reductions, simplified administrative procedures, and financial support.

The city has been subject to various industrial and population control regulations as part of the metropolitan area overconcentration control zone, but through this selection as a Free Economic Zone candidate site, it has secured practical growth momentum.

Uijeongbu City received high evaluations for its geographical advantage as a transportation and administrative center in the northern metropolitan area and for possessing the only large-scale available site within the region adjacent to Seoul, the U.S. military return land.

Based on these strengths, Uijeongbu City presented the vision of becoming a "hub for advanced industrial complexes connecting major industrial belts in the metropolitan area," which was recognized for its competitiveness during the evaluation process.

In particular, the return land area aims to establish an advanced industrial base linked with media content, AI, and biomedical clusters connecting northern Gyeonggi, Seoul, and southern Gyeonggi.

In March, Uijeongbu City commissioned a "Free Economic Zone Designation Promotion Project" and began expert reviews to secure feasibility. This candidate site selection is the first fruit of that effort, providing favorable conditions for attracting strategic industries and securing national support in response to the era of global technological hegemony.

Since the launch of the 8th elected administration, Uijeongbu City has consistently made realizing a corporate city a core goal of its administration. In June last year, it attracted the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) Northern Gyeonggi Regional Headquarters, and in July, it established the "Uijeongbu Station Area Master Plan," which was selected as a "Spatial Innovation Zone Leading Project" by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Recently, it also signed an agreement with Minerva University in the U.S. to create an innovation ecosystem, strengthening global connections.

Mayor Kim Dong-geun said, "Northern Gyeonggi is the region with the highest growth potential in South Korea," adding, "We will do our utmost to ensure that Uijeongbu can rise as a city centered on advanced industries and jobs through the promotion of the Free Economic Zone."