About 1.05 million pyeong (3.47 square kilometers) in Hyun-gyeong-myeon, Muan County, has been designated as a candidate site for a national industrial complex, increasing community expectations for new growth opportunities in Muan.
On August 25, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City announced that the Ministry has designated the area as the 'Muan National Industrial Complex candidate site' following deliberation and approval by the Industrial Location Policy Review Committee.
This designation is a follow-up to the 'swift designation of the Muan National Industrial Complex' announced by a six-party consultative body regarding the relocation of the Gwangju military airport last December. Relevant ministries and private experts comprehensively reviewed the necessity of the project, site appropriateness, and regional balanced development effects before confirming the candidate site.
In Muan, where there has been a demand for securing future growth engines, the designation of the national industrial complex candidate site is seen as a turning point that could elevate the local industrial structure.
Muan is equipped with a comprehensive transportation network, including Muan International Airport, the Honam High-Speed Railway, and highways. The establishment of the national industrial complex is expected to attract businesses, create quality jobs, and stimulate population influx and local commerce, leading to widespread economic benefits for the region.
Particularly, the designated site in Hyun-gyeong-myeon is close to Muan International Airport, and if linked with the second phase of the Honam High-Speed Railway project, it has great potential to develop into a key industrial and logistics hub connecting air, rail, and road transport in the southwestern region.
The abundant renewable energy resources in the southwestern region are also considered a competitive advantage. By integrating advanced industries with distributed energy sectors and attracting related companies, there is potential to diversify Muan's existing agriculture and fisheries-based industrial structure into advanced industries and logistics and energy sectors.
The possibility of linking the semiconductor advanced national industrial complex to be developed at the Gwangju military airport relocation site is also noteworthy. If semiconductor production bases are organically connected with materials, parts, equipment, logistics, and export functions, the southwestern region, including Muan, could grow into a key part of the Honam semiconductor industry ecosystem.
Above all, the local community hopes that the establishment of the national industrial complex will not just be a matter of developing industrial land but will lead to tangible development for Muan. Creating a structure where the economic benefits of attracting businesses, generating local youth jobs, improving living conditions, and expanding participation of local companies return to the residents is seen as a future challenge.
Min Hyung-bae, Mayor of Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, expressed his support in a statement, saying, "This designation of the candidate site has laid the groundwork for addressing the relocation of the Gwangju military airport and Muan's future development together," adding, "Muan's demand for future growth engines now has a concrete vision in the form of a national industrial complex."
He further emphasized, "The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City will concentrate all its efforts on the establishment of the Muan National Industrial Complex, working as a unified team with the government and Muan County to ensure swift progress from planning to infrastructure development and business attraction."
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also plans to collaborate with local governments and relevant agencies during the industrial complex planning process, aiming to complete the second phase of the Honam High-Speed Railway project, including Muan Airport Station, by 2027.
However, the designation of the candidate site does not immediately mean the completion of the national industrial complex. There are still subsequent procedures to establish the industrial complex plan, select project implementers, consult with relevant agencies, and secure business demand.
As a result, the local community is calling for the government, the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, and Muan County to expedite the subsequent procedures to realize the national industrial complex early and ensure that its benefits translate into job creation and income growth that residents can feel.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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