Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Urges Redesignation of Yeosu as Employment Crisis Area

Jusung Seop: "Employment Worsening Due to Petrochemical Downturn... Measures Needed"

The 'Proposal to Designate Yeosu as an Employment Crisis Area,' sponsored by Jusung Seop, a member of the Jeonnam Provincial Assembly (Democratic Party of Korea, Yeosu District 6), was approved at the first plenary session of the 396th extraordinary session held on January 30, 2026.

Through the proposal, Assemblyman Jusung Seop strongly urged the government to redesignate Yeosu from a 'preemptive response employment crisis area' to an 'employment crisis area,' citing the ongoing industrial downturn and employment instability at the Yeosu National Industrial Complex.

Jongseop Joo, Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Member

Assemblyman Jusung Seop expressed concern, stating, "Despite the rapid deterioration of employment conditions at the Yeosu National Industrial Complex due to the prolonged slump in the domestic petrochemical industry, the current designation of Yeosu as a preemptive response employment crisis area is set to expire in February. If this designation ends under the current circumstances, there will inevitably be a serious gap in the employment safety net."

The Yeosu National Industrial Complex is the backbone of South Korea's petrochemical industry and the core of the Jeonnam economy, having supported local employment and national industrial development for decades.

However, recently, the crisis has deepened as the number of jobs has sharply decreased in a short period due to a combination of factors, including the structural downturn of the global petrochemical industry, intensified international competition, and industrial transformation driven by carbon neutrality policies.

Assemblyman Jusung Seop pointed out, "The current employment instability should be viewed as a medium- to long-term crisis arising from industrial restructuring, not as a temporary economic fluctuation. There are clear limitations to addressing the essence of the crisis with only temporary preemptive measures."

He further emphasized, "Designating Yeosu as an employment crisis area is not merely an administrative extension, but an institutional declaration that the state will assume greater responsibility for regions experiencing severe employment crises. It is the minimum starting point to prevent the collapse of the local economy and to maintain the competitiveness of the petrochemical industry."

He urged, "The government must face the realities of the Yeosu National Industrial Complex, designate Yeosu as an employment crisis area, and at the same time, designate the petrochemical industry as a national strategic industry to develop medium- and long-term employment stabilization measures in response to industrial transformation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.