South Korea selects three sites for industrial complex revitalization

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport have selected three candidate sites for the 'Aging Industrial Complex Competitiveness Reinforcement Project'. The selected locations are the Jeju Advanced Science and Technology Park, the Wanju General Industrial Complex in Jeonbuk, and the Munmak General Industrial Complex in Wonju, Gangwon.

The initiative aims to revitalize aging industrial hubs that have faced declining competitiveness and difficulty attracting young workers. The government will provide comprehensive support through eight ministries to facilitate AI-driven manufacturing transitions (AX), green energy transitions (GX), and improvements to residential environments.

Specific goals for each site include: - Jeju: Establishing a smart green industrial complex based on distributed energy and clean resources, focusing on RE100 innovation and the bio-health industry. - Wanju: Developing a core hub for K-robot advanced mobility through AI factory robot verification and autonomous mobility manufacturing. - Munmak: Creating the Wonju Smart Green Industrial Complex by implementing smart factories and establishing a training center for medical AI semiconductor professionals.

The government plans to finalize and officially announce these sites as competitiveness reinforcement districts in the first quarter of next year following expert consultations.