Changwon Special City Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Changwon National Industrial Complex Designation with Citizens

Mayor Hong Nampyo Announces Future 50-Year Vision for Changwon National Industrial Complex

Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam will hold a commemorative event from the 23rd to the 27th this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Changwon National Industrial Complex, together with entrepreneurs, workers, and citizens.

The Changwon National Industrial Complex was designated as a national industrial complex on April 1, 1974, and has played an important role in driving economic and industrial development in South Korea beyond Changwon, mainly centered on the machinery industry. The past 50 years have not been without challenges. It experienced downturns due to various external conditions such as global economic crises and changes in industrial trends. However, with the growth of the nuclear phase-out policy and K-defense industry, it recorded a production value exceeding 60 trillion won for the first time in history in 2023, and exports reached 18 billion dollars, marking a new turning point. More than one-tenth of Changwon citizens work in the Changwon National Industrial Complex, making it the most important foundation for the city.

Changwon Special City has designated the period from the 23rd to the 27th as a commemorative week to remember the 50 years walked together with citizens and to newly announce the vision for the next 50 years, marking the 50th anniversary of the Changwon National Industrial Complex, which is the foundation for Changwon citizens.

The 50th anniversary commemorative event of the Changwon National Industrial Complex will consist of various programs that citizens can participate in, including ▲industrial tourism ▲commemorative ceremony and vision proclamation ▲unveiling of symbolic sculptures ▲Conference I & II ▲banquet reception ▲corporate culture experience ▲celebratory concert.

On the 23rd, a tour program of large companies and national research institutes within the Changwon National Industrial Complex will be held for Meister high school students inside and outside the region. Sixty students from five high schools will participate, visiting LG Electronics, Hanwha Aerospace, DN Solutions, Korea Institute of Materials Science, and Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, providing youth who will lead the future of the Changwon National Industrial Complex with an opportunity to see the site firsthand.

On the 24th, a commemorative ceremony and unveiling of the symbolic sculpture will be held. At the commemorative ceremony held at the Changwon Convention Center, awards will be given to those who contributed to the development of the industrial complex, and a ceremony will be held with young workers and students who will be the driving force for the next 50 years. In particular, Hong Nampyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, plans to proclaim the vision for the future 50 years of the Changwon National Industrial Complex and present strategies for sustainable growth.

The symbolic sculpture to be installed at the Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation is being created to represent the Changwon National Industrial Complex, where various companies and workers gather, extending toward the next 50 years. An unveiling ceremony will be held after the commemorative ceremony.

A banquet reception involving various businesspeople and workers will also be held. On the 25th, co-hosted by Gyeongnam Province and Changwon Special City, this event will include an awards ceremony for businesspeople and workers to honor their contributions and promote harmony among members.

On the 25th and 26th, a conference will be held at the Changwon Convention Center to explore development plans for the Changwon National Industrial Complex. On the 25th, national research institutes and large companies will participate to present new technology trends, and a large-scale investment attraction agreement ceremony for companies in the industrial complex will also take place. On the 26th, in the first part, several notable figures including Go San, CEO of A-Team Ventures, will be invited to discuss the development direction of the Changwon National Industrial Complex through innovation cases of overseas industrial complexes. In the second part, the president of Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), the dean of the Innovation Academy, and presidents and officials from six local universities will be invited to discuss ‘talent cultivation,’ a core for the next 50 years of development.

On the final day, the 27th, a large-scale citizen event will be held at Changwon Square. Cultural experience booths such as face painting and webtoon experience centers will be operated to provide enjoyment for citizens. The Changwon National Industrial Complex Exhibition Hall, where the past history of the complex can be confirmed, and the Corporate Hall of Fame Exhibition Hall, displaying top executives and workers who are the driving forces of growth, will also be operated.

In the evening, a celebratory concert will begin with a performance by the Changwon Workers’ Choir, followed by famous singers such as Taei, Park Jung-hyun, Jang Min-ho, and Kim Yeon-ja. The finale will be marked by a drone show and a large-scale fireworks display depicting the future 50 years of the Changwon National Industrial Complex.

Seo Jeong-guk, Director of the Future Strategy Industry Bureau, said, “We will do our utmost to ensure safety management and event preparation until the very end so that the upcoming 50th anniversary commemorative event of the Changwon National Industrial Complex can be successfully held.” He added, “We will commemorate the past 50 years of the Changwon National Industrial Complex and make a vigorous leap into the next 50 years together with the citizens.”