"Taking Responsibility for Changwon's Next 50 Years" ... Hong Nampyo, Changwon Special City Mayor, Proposes Key Projects to Government

Accelerating the Promotion of Digital Masan Free Trade Zone and Next-Generation
Advanced Composite Beam Irradiation Facility

"On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Changwon National Industrial Complex, we will make this year a firm foundation for the next 50 years of the future."

Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, expressed this determination on the 23rd while visiting the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Science and ICT to request the prompt promotion of Changwon's future core growth projects.

Changwon Special City Mayor Hong Nampyo is explaining to Park Hakhee, Head of the Innovation Support Team at the Economic Free Zone Planning Division of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Mayor Hong visited the Economic Free Zone Planning Division of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to express gratitude for the "new designation of Digital Masan Free Trade Zone" and the "designation of Masan Free Trade Zone as a National Industrial Complex." He also requested active cooperation for the selection of preliminary feasibility study projects for the creation of the Digital Masan Free Trade Zone and the construction of the D.N.A. Innovation Town, as well as follow-up projects related to the Masan Free Trade Zone’s designation as a national industrial complex.

The Digital Masan Free Trade Zone, designated in January, is a project to create an urban high-tech industrial complex within Masan Marine New City, where D.N.A. (Data, Network, AI) companies suited for the 4th Industrial Revolution era are concentrated. Changwon City is preparing to promote a planning research service for the creation of the Digital Masan Free Trade Zone and plans to submit a preliminary feasibility study request within this year.

Additionally, the existing Masan Free Trade Zone is scheduled to be designated as a national industrial complex starting March this year following the passage of the amendment to the Free Trade Zone Act in the National Assembly last January. Accordingly, Changwon City plans to actively discover follow-up projects such as the competitiveness enhancement project for aging base industrial complexes.

Subsequently, through a meeting with the Director of the Large-scale Public Research Policy Division at the Ministry of Science and ICT, Mayor Hong proposed that the next-generation advanced complex beam inspection facility construction project, which Changwon City is prioritizing, be promptly selected as a preliminary feasibility study project. The Director of the Large-scale Public Research Policy Division responded that they would actively review the proposal.

This project aims to develop and build neutron beam and X-ray fusion imaging devices capable of inspecting large products and parts within the defense and nuclear fusion national industrial complex to strengthen global competitiveness and market leadership in advanced defense and next-generation nuclear industries. Compared to similar facilities that can detect defects without disassembling products and parts, this is an industrial specialized facility with the largest irradiation area. It secured 3 billion KRW (national budget) for basic design costs in 2024 and is being promoted with the goal of applying for and passing the preliminary feasibility study within this year.

After making requests to government ministries, Mayor Hong also visited IITP (Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation), a research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials. At IITP, he sought opinions on public projects such as the "Global Manufacturing Convergence Software Development and Demonstration Project," and at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, he met with Director Ryu Seok-hyun to request the establishment of a research center in Changwon.

Mayor Hong emphasized, "The Digital Masan Free Trade Zone creation project and the next-generation advanced complex beam inspection facility construction project are core growth engines for Changwon’s next 50 years."

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