Joint Forum with Assemblywoman Kwon Hyangyeop
Discussion on Strategies to Foster the K-Battery Supply Chain
Sharing the Need for Designating a Specialized Complex
Amid Government's Battery Triangle Belt Initiative
Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeollanam-do, is performing a ceremony for the 'Attraction of the Gwangyang Bay Area Secondary Battery Specialized Complex' with key guests and attendees at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Seoul on the 22nd. Provided by Jeonnam Province
On the morning of December 22, Jeollanam-do held the "Gwangyang Bay Area Secondary Battery Specialized Complex Attraction Forum" at the National Assembly Members' Office Building, discussing strategies and tasks to foster the Gwangyang Bay Area as a core hub of the K-battery supply chain.
The forum was attended by Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeollanam-do, Kwon Hyangyeop, National Assembly member from the Democratic Party of Korea, Jeong Inhwa, Mayor of Gwangyang, as well as representatives from local governments, businesses, and experts from universities and research institutes.
On November 28, the government announced the "K-Battery Competitiveness Enhancement Plan," stating its intention to build a "Battery Triangle Belt" connecting the Honam, Yeongnam, and Chungcheong regions, and to foster Honam as a key base for critical minerals (raw materials) and cathode materials.
During the forum, discussions focused on ways to develop the Gwangyang Bay Area as a national-level production base for secondary battery raw materials and components, as well as a candidate site for a new specialized complex, in line with the government's industrial policy direction. Participants reached a consensus on the necessity of designating the Gwangyang Bay Area as a secondary battery specialized complex.
The keynote presentations covered: ▲ Domestic and global trends in the secondary battery industry (Choi Jongseo, Executive Director of the Korea Battery Industry Association) and ▲ The creation and development direction of the Gwangyang Bay Area Secondary Battery Specialized Complex (Jeong Giyeong, Professor at Suncheon National University). In the subsequent panel discussion, Moon Seungil, Professor at Korea Institute of Energy Technology, served as moderator, addressing strategies and tasks for designating the specialized complex.
Jeollanam-do has been preparing step by step to attract the Gwangyang Bay Area Secondary Battery Specialized Complex. In 2023, the region was designated as a "Secondary Battery Opportunity Development Zone," establishing grounds for tax and regulatory relief and infrastructure support, and the "Jeollanam-do Secondary Battery Industry Promotion and Support Ordinance" was enacted to provide an institutional foundation.
In addition, a plan for fostering the specialized complex has been established, and industry-academia-research-government consultative bodies and task forces are being operated to systematically respond to government calls for proposals. Jeollanam-do plans to use this forum as an opportunity to strengthen consultations with the central government, the National Assembly, and the industry to promote the designation of the "Gwangyang Bay Area Secondary Battery Specialized Complex."
Assemblywoman Kwon stated, "The National Assembly will actively support the Jeonnam Gwangyang Bay Area so that it can emerge as the core of Korea's K-battery supply chain."
Governor Kim Youngrok emphasized, "This National Assembly forum has clarified the role of the Gwangyang Bay Area amid the shift in battery industry competition from 'production volume' to 'supply chain stability.' As the national advanced strategic industry secondary battery specialized complex call for proposals runs until February 27 next year, we will faithfully reflect the opinions discussed today in the development plan for the specialized complex."
He further stated, "If the Gwangyang Bay Area is designated as a specialized complex, the development of new national industrial complexes and the attraction of companies will accelerate, leading to increased corporate investment and the creation of quality jobs. These effects will revitalize the eastern Jeollanam-do industrial sector and contribute to making Korea's K-battery supply chain even more stable."
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