Geochang-gun Rises as Korea's Largest Elevator Industry City... Construction Begins on Test Tower and Industrial Complex Hall

Operation of Elevator On-site Experiential Training and Statutory Education Center

Groundbreaking Ceremony for Elevator Test Tower and Industrial Complex Building.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Geochang-gun, Gyeongnam Province announced on the 24th that it held a groundbreaking ceremony for the ‘Elevator Test Tower and Industrial Complex Hall’ at the elevator specialized agricultural and industrial complex.

The groundbreaking ceremony was hosted by the Korea Elevator Safety Agency, attended by about 70 guests including Kim Hee-gyeom, Vice Minister of Safety at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Park Jong-won, Deputy Governor of Gyeongnam Province for Economic Affairs, Gu In-mo, Mayor of Geochang-gun, and Lee Yong-pyo, Chairman of the Korea Elevator Safety Agency. Without a separate pre-ceremony event, the program proceeded in the order of promotional video screening by Geochang-gun and the agency, progress report, and groundbreaking performance.

This project involves investing 32 billion KRW in national and provincial funds to build a 125-meter elevator test tower with an area of 2,116 square meters and an elevator industrial complex hall with one basement floor and three above-ground floors on a 6,037 square meter site within the elevator specialized agricultural and industrial complex in Namsang-myeon, Geochang-gun. Completion is planned for November next year.

The elevator test tower is a project implemented by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. It is being constructed to respond to the expanded safety certification parts and the demand for newly established model certification following the revision of the Elevator Safety Management Act. The top floor sky lounge will be used as a complex cultural space for various meetings, promotional exhibitions, and tower tours.

The elevator industrial complex hall is part of the World Elevator Hub City development project, selected as a pilot project for regional development investment agreements by the National Balanced Development Committee. It will house a specialized education center with an elevator practice building for domestic and international elevator workforce training, as well as various research and testing equipment and research testing centers to support companies.

In particular, the elevator industrial complex hall goes beyond the existing education center’s limited testing equipment by including practice buildings for elevators and escalators, enabling hands-on experiential training. It is also expected to provide customized workforce training for companies struggling with the supply of installation and manufacturing personnel.

In his commemorative speech, Chairman Lee Yong-pyo said, “Geochang-gun and the agency are joining hands to promote the elevator test tower and industrial complex hall. Once completed by the end of next year, Geochang-gun will establish itself as a mecca of the elevator industry and elevator safety.”

Following this, Vice Minister Kim Hee-gyeom stated, “Through this project, we expect Geochang Elevator Valley to become not only the central city of the domestic elevator industry but also develop into a global elevator hub city. The government will also spare no effort in system improvements and investments to promote the elevator safety industry.”

Finally, Gu In-mo, Mayor of Geochang-gun, expressed his aspirations, saying, “Once the two projects starting today are completed, Geochang-gun will develop into a global elevator industry city. We will establish Geochang Elevator Valley as a mecca for elevator education and a research base for elevator studies, playing a pivotal role in advancing and enhancing the competitiveness of the domestic elevator industry, while also contributing to revitalizing the local economy.”

Meanwhile, Geochang-gun was selected in April for the 2022 Smart Specialization Infrastructure Project, a public contest by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, with a 20 billion KRW smart elevator demonstration platform construction project. This is evaluated as a milestone for the county to be reborn as an elevator industry city by developing smart elevators and creating a cutting-edge technology convergence research complex.

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