Gochang-gun Designated as Bokbunja and Vinegar Industry Special Zone... Leading the 6th Industry

Published 08 Nov.2021 10:46(KST)

[Gochang=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jaegil] Jeonbuk’s ‘Gochang-gun Bokbunja Industrial Special Zone’ is taking the lead in Korea’s 6th industrialization by adding the vinegar industry, the ultimate fermented food industry.

According to the county on the 8th, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups recently held a meeting (in writing) of the Regional Specialized Development Special Zone Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) and approved the agenda to change the ‘Gochang Bokbunja Industrial Special Zone Plan’ to the ‘Gochang Bokbunja-Vinegar Industrial Special Zone.’

The county is renowned as the nation’s largest Bokbunja cultivation area (35% nationwide).

With this special zone plan change, Gochang will promote processed food development, modernization, and globalization of distribution systems by adding the vinegar industry alongside the existing Bokbunja industry advancement.

The specialized projects have added four major projects to establish a foundation for fostering the vinegar industry to the existing Bokbunja promotion industry (such as the Seonunsan Bokbunja Production Valley Development Project): establishment of a shared fermentation vinegar processing platform, foundation for vinegar industrialization, production of K-Balsamic vinegar using Bokbunja, and scientific and marketing support for Gochang vinegar.

The production inducement effect through the special zone projects is analyzed to be 385.8 billion KRW, the added value inducement effect 405.1 billion KRW, and the employment inducement effect 1,442 persons.

For the special zone project, a new regulatory exception will be applied to the Patent Act for priority examination of patent applications related to Bokbunja and vinegar, while existing laws such as the Farmland Act, Road Traffic Act, Outdoor Advertising Act, Road Act, and Food Sanitation Act for entrusted management of Bokbunja cultivation farmland will continue to apply.

County Governor Yu Gisang said, “At the starting point of moving toward the With-Corona era, the designation of the Gochang Bokbunja-Vinegar Industrial Special Zone will be an opportunity to leap forward as the agricultural life food capital of the Korean Peninsula,” and added, “We will create a region-specialized business model and strengthen our position as a representative and genuine vinegar city of Korea.”