Yeongam Samho General Industrial Complex Selected as Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Root Industry Specialized Complex

Improving Aging and Poor Worker Convenience Facilities Expected to Reduce Accident Rates

[Yeongam=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Jae-kyung] The Samho General Industrial Complex in Yeongam, Jeonnam, has been selected for the 2022 Root Industry Specialized Complex Support Project, hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Root industry refers to industries that utilize 14 core manufacturing process technologies (casting, mold, plastic working, welding, surface treatment, heat treatment, etc.) that are not visible but form the foundation of manufacturing, with shipbuilding being a representative example.

To strengthen national manufacturing competitiveness, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has designated root industry specialized complexes annually since 2013 and has been investing national funds in support projects.

Designated as a root industry specialized complex in June last year, the Samho General Industrial Complex operates as a large, medium, and small win-win model, with Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries and 66 in-house partner companies, including 42 welding companies and 12 surface treatment companies, forming a cluster of root industry enterprises.

In particular, a cooperative was established in February this year to promote the root industry specialized complex support project.

The Yeongam Samho General Industrial Complex is investing a total project cost of 830 million KRW to expand shared rest and convenience facilities to improve the aging and poor worker convenience facilities.

Due to the nature of large shipbuilding, most work is conducted outdoors, but rest and convenience facilities are old and insufficient, leading workers to avoid using the facilities and instead rest in outdoor work areas, which has continuously posed safety accident risks.

With the expansion of shared convenience facilities, improvements in workers' working environments and reductions in industrial accident rates due to safety accident prevention are expected.

A Yeongam County official said, “Although employment avoidance in the root industry is high due to difficult and poor working conditions, we will do our best to create a better working environment as a stepping stone through the support project and help sustain continuous job creation.”

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