President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's Visit to Jeonnam: "Driving Force of the 4th Industrial Revolution in the Steel Industry"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol emphasized, "If the steel industry realizes the 4th Industrial Revolution and carbon neutrality, it will play a leading role in driving Korean industry."

On the 21st, Yoon, who visited POSCO Gwangyang Steelworks located in the Gwangyang Bay industrial complex, the largest domestic steel, petroleum, and chemical production area, said, "No one is unaware that steelmaking is the foundation of industry," adding, "POSCO has always been a mainstay in the development of Korean industry."

He continued, "Our country's four major export items are automobiles and shipbuilding, which are two sides of the same coin of the steel industry," emphasizing the importance of the steel industry.

In particular, President-elect Yoon expressed his gratitude to steel industry workers by writing in the guestbook, "I pay tribute to the dedication and hard work of our steelworkers."

Additionally, during a private meeting with Choi Jeong-woo, Chairman of POSCO, Park Seong-hyun, President of Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority, and Lee Baek-gu, Chairman of Gwangyang Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he reportedly showed great interest in Gwangyang Port, which he visited once during his candidacy.

President-elect Yoon's visit on this day was to keep his promise to the public made during his candidacy, "I will definitely visit again if elected," and reflected his strong will for regional balanced development, believing that "the answer is always on site."

Following his 'promise and livelihood walk,' on the 20th, he visited the Yeongam Daebul industrial complex and then the Gwangyang Bay industrial complex for two consecutive days, showing his interest in the industrial sector of Jeollanam-do.

Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeollanam-do, who attended the meeting, said, "POSCO is the world's best steel plant, and we are proud to have the Gwangyang Steelworks in our region," adding, "Especially, POSCO is investing 2.3 trillion won in the secondary battery materials industry and has pledged to continue investing, which is very reassuring and appreciated."

He emphasized, "We requested POSCO to relocate the headquarters of POSCO Chemical to Jeonnam for mutual cooperation and co-growth with the local community."

He also introduced, "To revitalize Gwangyang Port, the government is expanding port infrastructure with a budget of 2.8 trillion won, including the renewal of Nakpo Pier, according to the government's 4th Basic Port Plan," and added, "Next year, a groundbreaking ceremony will be held for the ‘Port Automation Testbed Construction Project,’ which will build four automated berths with an investment of 690 billion won."

Accordingly, he proposed, "To develop Gwangyang Port into an ‘advanced Northeast Asia logistics hub,’ support is needed for the ‘3-3 phase smart container terminal construction’ and modernization of cargo handling equipment."

He also suggested, "The Gwangyang Bay industrial complex has achieved investment results of 5.9 trillion won over the past five years and is expected to see 8 trillion won in investments over the next five years. However, since there is a shortage of industrial complex land despite many companies wishing to invest, we propose designating the Yeosu Yulchon 2 industrial complex as a national industrial complex and developing the Gwangyang Port wide-area dredged soil disposal site as planned."

Regarding the Jeolla Line high-speed railway, he said, "The population of the eastern region, including Gwangyang, Yeosu, and Suncheon, is close to one million, and industry and economy are developing significantly. We must prepare for the influx of tourists post-COVID-19," and strongly urged, "Exemption from preliminary feasibility study is necessary for the swift promotion of the ‘Jeolla Line high-speed railway’ project, which is included in the national plan."

Governor Kim Young-rok said, "Despite the busy schedule preparing for the new government, the firm will for balanced development shown by visiting the region is a great support to the struggling areas," and added, "Jeonnam Province will simultaneously promote securing industrial complex sites in the Gwangyang Bay area, port smartization, and structural improvements such as greenhouse gas reduction and safety net expansion to enhance global competitiveness."

President-elect Yoon concluded the day's schedule by touring the No. 1 blast furnace after receiving a status briefing from Kim Hak-dong, Vice Chairman of POSCO.

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