Southwestern Jeollanamdo to Be Transformed into 500,000 Population New City Innovation Belt

Kim Youngrok Meets with Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Hunsik and Chief Policy Secretary Kim Yongbeom
Presents "Major Innovation Plan for the Southwestern Region" and Focuses on Key Issues

Jeollanamdo Governor Kim Youngrok (right) is meeting with Kim Byunggi, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, at the National Assembly in Seoul on the 1st to propose and request cooperation for resolving current issues in Jeonnam Province. Provided by Jeonnam Province

The southwestern region of Jeollanamdo will undergo a major transformation into a "500,000 Population Energy Innovation Growth Belt."

Jeollanamdo has developed special measures to increase the population of the southwestern region?which currently stands at 320,000 and is experiencing a decline?to 570,000, an increase of more than 200,000 people. The province has decided to concentrate national and regional capabilities to achieve this goal.

The province plans to focus on establishing an "AI Energy Smart City," an "Asia-Pacific Offshore Wind Power Hub," a state-led "AI Advanced Agri-Industry Convergence District," a "Future Advanced Aero City," and an "Advanced Industry and RE100 Convergence Complex" in the southwestern region of Jeollanamdo.

On July 1, Jeollanamdo Governor Kim Youngrok met with Kang Hunsik, Chief Presidential Secretary, and Kim Yongbeom, Chief Policy Secretary, to discuss the creation of the "500,000 Population Energy Innovation Growth Belt in the Southwestern Region of Jeollanamdo," as well as other key issues that could drive the future growth of Jeollanamdo and address serious national imbalances. Kim Yongbeom and others stated that they would report the projects proposed by Governor Kim Youngrok to President Lee Jaemyung and review them positively.

The plan to establish the "500,000 Population Energy Innovation Growth Belt in the Southwestern Region of Jeollanamdo" represents a more concrete and integrated version of the strategies Jeollanamdo has envisioned for the development of the southwestern region. The plan aims to transform four cities and counties in the southwestern region?Muan, Yeongam, Haenam, and Mokpo?into new growth hubs with advanced industries and smart city infrastructure, focusing on nurturing them as a new growth base with a population of 500,000.

First, by 2035, a "AI Supercluster Hub" (data center 3GW, 15 trillion won in private investment) will be established on 6.32 million pyeong of the Haenam Solaseido Corporate City, and a data center RE100 specialized industrial complex will be created to develop a large-scale "AI Energy Smart City."

In Mokpo New Port, Yeongam Daebul Industrial Complex, Haenam Hwawon Industrial Complex, and Yeongam Corporate City, a global offshore wind power industrial ecosystem will be established to create an "Asia-Pacific Offshore Wind Power Hub."

Along with a national offshore wind power research institute, support piers, and hinterland complexes, a specialized equipment complex will also be built to localize offshore wind power support vessels.

The province also plans to establish the "AI Advanced Agri-Industry Convergence District," which has already been selected as a candidate for a preliminary feasibility study, on a new 1 million pyeong industrial complex in the southwestern region. In addition, an "Advanced Industry and RE100 Convergence Complex" and a "Future Advanced Aero City" will be created on 1.6 million pyeong near Muan Airport. If these projects are successfully implemented, it is expected that more than 200,000 people will move into the southwestern region.

In addition, Governor Kim requested that the Lee Jaemyung administration actively support essential industrial complexes and research facilities for the future growth of Jeollanamdo, such as the "Future Advanced Materials National Industrial Complex" in the Gwangyang-Suncheon area (1.2 million pyeong), the "Second Space Center" in the Goheung Space Launch Vehicle Special Zone (project cost: 1.62 trillion won), and the "Artificial Sun Research Facility" in Naju.

Meanwhile, on the same day at the National Assembly, Governor Kim met with Kim Byunggi, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, and Jin Sungjoon, the party’s policy committee chair, to request support for responding to crises in regional industries such as the Yeosu Industrial Complex, the inclusion of Jeollanamdo’s SOC budget, and government funding for the Korea Energy Engineering University in the current government’s supplementary budget. He also visited the National Policy Planning Committee to deliver "Jeollanamdo’s Future Development Proposals" to Chairman Lee Hanju and requested that they be included in the Lee Jaemyung administration’s national policy agenda.