South Coast Southern Central Region Development Council Unites in Calling for Early Construction of "Sacheon Aerospace Expressway"

Early Establishment of the Aerospace Administration
and Expectations for Revitalizing Marine Tourism on the South Coast

The South Coast Southern Central Region Development Council unanimously called for the early construction of the Sacheon Aerospace Expressway at its 25th regular meeting.

The heads of local governments signed a joint statement urging the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to include the "Sacheon Aerospace Expressway" in the National Road Network Comprehensive Plan, which is currently being promoted. This initiative aims to expand transportation and logistics infrastructure for the newly established Aerospace Administration, and to boost tourism along the South Coast through projects such as the opening of the Namhae-Yeosu Undersea Tunnel.

The Sacheon Aerospace Expressway project involves the construction of a four-lane expressway branch connecting Yeonhwasan Junction to the newly planned Samcheonpo Port IC, as a spur of the Tongyeong-Daejeon Expressway. The project will be fully funded by the national government, with a total budget of 1.3954 trillion KRW and a total length of 18.3 kilometers.

Group photo of the 25th regular meeting of Sacheon City South Coast Southern Central Region Development Council.

Since the opening of the Aerospace Administration last year, the Sacheon district of the Gyeongnam Aerospace National Industrial Complex was confirmed as the site for the new headquarters at the end of February. As a result, it is expected that major anchor companies, as well as venture and startup firms and research institutes related to aerospace, will be attracted to the area.

Additionally, with the recent commencement of construction on the Namhae-Yeosu Undersea Tunnel and the South Coast Island Highway project connecting Jeonnam, Gyeongnam, and Busan, the completion of these infrastructure projects is expected to lead to a sharp increase in the number of tourists visiting the South Coast. Therefore, appropriate transportation measures must be prepared in advance.

In response, the heads of nine cities and counties in the Yeongho-Nam region have emphasized that the construction of the "Sacheon Aerospace Expressway" is not an option but a necessity for the successful establishment of the Aerospace Administration and the revitalization of tourism along the South Coast.

Meanwhile, the South Coast Southern Central Region Development Council is an administrative council composed of four cities and counties in western Gyeongnam (Jinju, Sacheon, Namhae, Hadong) and five cities and counties in eastern Jeonnam (Yeosu, Suncheon, Gwangyang, Goheung, Boseong).

A council representative stated, "The construction of the 'Sacheon Aerospace Expressway' is an essential project to ensure the successful establishment of the ambitiously launched Aerospace Administration, which aims to make Korea one of the world's top five space powers, and to accommodate the expected surge in tourists following the opening of the Namhae-Yeosu Undersea Tunnel. For this reason, it must be included in the National Road Network Comprehensive Plan." The council plans to continue submitting proposals and engaging in joint activities with relevant agencies and the National Assembly.

Park Dongsik, Mayor of Sacheon, stated, "The construction of the Sacheon Aerospace Expressway is not just a project for Sacheon City, but a crucial initiative for the shared prosperity of the South Coast Southern Central Region and for balanced development between the Yeongnam and Honam regions. Together with the 1.32 million residents of the Southern Central Region, I will do my utmost to ensure this project is included in the plan."