Jeonnam-Gwangju Administrative Integration Linked... Accelerating Wide-Area Industrial Cooperation Project

Launch of the Joint Promotion Committee for the Honam Advanced Bio-Health Complex
Hwasun vaccine cluster and Gwangju AI-based medical devices...expected to become a national industrial hub

Launch ceremony of the Joint Promotion Committee for the Honam Biohealth Complex. Provided by Jeonnam Province

Jeollanam-do Province and Gwangju Metropolitan City have begun a joint response to create the “Honam Advanced Bio-Health Complex,” selected as the first strategic project for wide-area industrial cooperation in connection with the administrative integration of Jeonnam and Gwangju.

On the 23rd, the two local governments held the launch ceremony of the “Joint Promotion Committee for the Honam Advanced Bio-Health Complex” at the National Assembly Members' Office Building, officially activating a cooperation framework for establishing the complex. Key figures from the National Assembly and related institutions also attended the event, giving strong support to the creation of the complex.

The committee consists of a total of 13 experts from industry, academia, research, medical institutions, and government, centered on Sun Kyung, Head of the K-Future Health Promotion Team, Kang Wiyuan, Vice Governor for Economy of Jeollanam-do Province, and Kim Youngmoon, Vice Mayor for Culture and Economy of Gwangju City.

Going forward, they will serve as a control tower to flesh out the development plan for the complex and prepare practical implementation strategies. In particular, they will strengthen external cooperation to respond to the revision of the relevant special act and to secure national funding, and will build a network linking the government, industry, and research institutions to make all-out efforts to prepare for the designation of the complex.

The National Assembly is currently deliberating amendments to the Special Act on Advanced Medical Complexes, separately sponsored by National Assembly members Ahn Dogeol and Jeon Jinsuk.

Because the passage of these amendments is essential for the establishment of the Honam Advanced Bio-Health Complex, Jeonnam and Gwangju plan to closely communicate with the National Assembly and relevant institutions and follow a systematic designation process.

This joint response is part of a wide-area industrial cooperation initiative being pursued in parallel with discussions on administrative integration between Gwangju and Jeonnam. The plan is to foster a core hub that will lead the national bio-health industry by linking Jeonnam’s Hwasun Vaccine Industry Special Zone with Gwangju’s capabilities in AI-based medical devices and the digital health industry.

Vice Governor Kang Wiyuan stressed, “The launch of the Joint Promotion Committee marks the start of a substantive joint response to establish the Advanced Bio-Health Complex,” adding, “We will prove that Jeonnam and Gwangju are the most prepared and optimal locations in anticipation of additional designations by the central government.”

Once the Honam Advanced Bio-Health Complex is built, it is expected to establish a “one-stop ecosystem” that encompasses vaccines, immune therapeutics, and AI medical devices, becoming a key driving force for enhancing the competitiveness of the national bio industry.