Seonjin to Build Livestock Food Cluster... Leading Regional Economic Revitalization

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Seonjin announced on the 18th that it is accelerating the construction of the largest domestic advanced country-type livestock food cluster in Anseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, equivalent to the size of 31 soccer fields.

So far, unlike the neighboring city of Pyeongtaek, which has attracted a large number of major corporations capable of creating large-scale employment such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Mando, and Ssangyong Motor, Anseong-si has not achieved significant success in attracting large corporations except for KCC. This is even more pronounced when looking at the gap in the number of businesses between Anseong-si and Pyeongtaek-si. As of 2018, about 15,000 businesses are located in Anseong-si, whereas Pyeongtaek-si has a total of about 36,000 businesses, including companies located in the currently developing Godeok Industrial Complex.

Anseong-si has experienced population stagnation for several years due to the slowdown in job creation caused by relatively fewer business attractions. Pyeongtaek, which showed a sharp population inflow after 2000, increased by 27% from 410,000 in 2010 to 520,000 in 2020, while Anseong decreased by about 870 people during the same period, remaining at around 184,000.

Additionally, Pyeongtaek is expected to create 30,000 jobs and an additional employment effect of more than 150,000 people through the Samsung Electronics Pyeongtaek plant, which began construction in 2015 and is scheduled to operate in earnest from 2021, covering an area of 1.2 million pyeong. In Godeok-myeon, where the plant is located, about 140,000 additional population inflows are expected due to the Godeok International New City, which began occupancy in 2019, further widening the population gap with Anseong-si.

In this situation, the livestock food cluster directly invested and developed by Seonjin is raising expectations to resolve the population gap with neighboring areas through job creation in Anseong-si. The cluster is expected to create about 1,000 jobs, prioritizing the employment of local residents. Due to the nature of the food industry requiring detailed manual work, a large number of employees is essential for stable operation. Including indirect employment, the total employment ripple effect is expected to reach 1,600 people.

The livestock food cluster being developed by Seonjin is a modern food complex where everything from meat processing to distribution is carried out, and it includes an experience space for general consumers. Once operational, the cluster will produce products worth 15 billion KRW annually. Beyond job creation, it will contribute to Anseong’s tax revenue and fulfill its role as a corporate citizen. The expected annual consumption by the floating population, including workers, is about 150 billion KRW, and the benefit to the local commercial district is expected to exceed 30 billion KRW annually, promoting regional economic revitalization.

Moreover, increased transportation distances during livestock transport often lead to weight loss and increased stress, affecting meat quality and lowering prices, which reduces the shipment revenue of livestock farmers. The location of the livestock food cluster in Anseong, where livestock farming is prevalent, is expected to increase shipment revenue for local livestock farmers and expand corporate options for selecting farms.

Furthermore, inside the livestock food cluster, in addition to production factories, there are plans to operate tours and experience programs for general consumers and to establish a direct transaction market where visitors can purchase local agricultural and livestock products, creating an environment for Anseong to coexist as a center of the food industry in Gyeonggi Province.

Lee Beom-kwon, General Manager of Seonjin, said, "We will build a top-level livestock food cluster in Anseong, a city with a good location in terms of production and logistics, to provide new sales channels and elevate domestic livestock competitiveness to the next level." He added, "We will explore various ways to contribute to the region as a corporate citizen, including job creation for Anseong residents, various economic effects, continuous quality management to increase farmers' profits, and more."

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