"Border Area Industrial Complex, Difficult to Lease Without Human Infrastructure"

[Interview] Ko Byeongheon, Chairman of Korea Amusement Industry Cooperative
"Papyeng Industrial Complex Competes with Surrounding Complexes at the Lowest Price in the Seoul Metropolitan Area"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] "The northeastern border area is difficult to lease without human infrastructure"

Ko Byung-heon, chairman of the Korea Amusement Industry Cooperative (Amusement Cooperative), said, "There are quite a few companies that cannot move in despite leasing at low prices because employees oppose it. Commuting is far, and due to the lack of surrounding infrastructure, even foreign workers are reluctant to come," he said.

Chairman Ko, while serving as vice chairman of the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business, is also leading the development of industrial complexes as the CEO of Papyung Industrial Complex Development Co., Ltd. in his hometown, Paju City, Gyeonggi Province. He calmly shared the experiences he encountered during this process.

Chairman Ko is a first-generation figure in the domestic game industry, leading the Amusement Cooperative for 20 years. He is also an expert in industrial complex development. Starting with the Suwon Gosaek 1st Industrial Complex (330,000㎡) in Gyeonggi in 2000, he successfully completed the first phase of the Paju Jeokseong Industrial Complex (468,000㎡) in 2010, the second phase of the Paju Jeokseong Industrial Complex (135,000㎡) in 2015, and is preparing for the completion of the Papyung General Industrial Complex (593,325㎡) this year.

For establishing a self-reliant foundation in his hometown, many companies need to settle in, but the disadvantage of being a border area holds back progress. The Paju area faces difficulties in recruiting people due to a lack of infrastructure such as housing, schools, hospitals, and marts. Chairman Ko took a gamble by offering lower leasing prices compared to other industrial complexes.

The leasing price of the Papyung Industrial Complex is 1,050,000 KRW per 3.3㎡ (1 pyeong), which is much cheaper than other nearby industrial complexes. For example, the nearby Paju Court 2 Industrial Complex is 1,800,000 KRW per 3.3㎡, and the Gimpo Hagun Industrial Complex south of the Han River ranges from 2,400,000 to 3,000,000 KRW.

He also emphasized the need to revise the Industrial Complex Location Act (Sanipbeop). According to the act, only manufacturing companies such as rubber and plastic, paper manufacturing, metal processing, and other machinery manufacturing companies were allowed to lease in the Papyung Industrial Complex. Chairman Ko argues, "In industrial complexes lacking infrastructure, service-related companies such as video centers or logistics centers should also be allowed to move in." He insists that the act should be flexibly applied depending on the location. Chairman Ko appealed, "What use is a neat factory if you cannot attract people? Please don't just say no unconditionally; let's find a way together."

He did not forget to appeal for the revival of the arcade game industry, which has been in decline for over 20 years. The arcade game industry flourished in the 1980s and 1990s with games like Galaga and Tetris, which were popular in electronic arcades, dominating the Korean game scene, but since the 2000s, it has only maintained the status quo.

Chairman Ko said, "Games are an industry, not just culture. The revival of the game industry must begin with recognizing games as an industry," and added, "To develop the arcade game industry, consideration should be given to transferring the main administrative department from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy." He also said, "While countries like the United States and Japan continue to develop their game industries, only Korea is falling behind," and added, "As a first-generation figure in the game industry, I will strive for the revival of the game industry until the day I die."

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