South Korea's World Class Plus project shows heavy metropolitan concentration

The ‘World Class Plus’ project, a major R&D support initiative by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy designed to foster promising middle-market enterprises into global leaders, shows a significant regional imbalance. Data analyzed by Representative Kwon Hyang-yeop reveals that between 2021 and 2026, 63.2% of the 68 selected companies are located in the Seoul metropolitan area, including 38.2% in Gyeonggi, 19.1% in Seoul, and 5.9% in Incheon.

In contrast, non-metropolitan areas accounted for only 36.8% of the selections. Among these, Gyeongsangbuk-do had the highest representation with 9 companies (13.2%). However, several regions, including Gwangju, Jeonnam, Gangwon, Ulsan, Jeju, and parts of the Honam region, saw zero or minimal participation.

Critics argue this concentration contradicts the ‘Special Act on the Promotion of Growth and Strengthening of Competitiveness of Middle-Market Enterprises,’ which mandates supporting balanced national development and regional competitiveness. Representative Kwon emphasized the need for active strategies to discover and nurture high-potential companies in non-metropolitan areas to bridge this widening support gap.