Goheung-gun, Groundbreaking of Unmanned Aerial Agricultural Technology Specialized Agro-Industrial Complex

128 Billion Won Invested to Establish Drone Industry Development Foundation Driving Regional Economy

Creating Over 1,500 Jobs, Expected Direct and Indirect Economic Impact of 46.5 Billion Won

Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Gong Young-min) held a groundbreaking ceremony for the "Unmanned Aerial Agricultural Technology Specialized Agricultural-Industrial Complex Construction Project," a future strategic industry in the drone sector, on June 11, marking the official start of construction.

About 300 people attended the ceremony, including Governor Gong Young-min, the Vice Governor of Jeollanam-do, research institutions in the aerospace field, companies scheduled to move in, and local residents, showing great interest in the specialized agricultural-industrial complex to be established in Goheung Bay.

[Photo by Goheung-gun]

Goheung-gun planned the unmanned aerial agricultural technology specialized agricultural-industrial complex by actively utilizing its advantages, such as the nation's largest flight test airspace (22 km diameter), Goheung Aviation Center, Drone Center, and the National Comprehensive Flight Performance Test Site, which provide optimal drone infrastructure.

Based on feasibility studies and basic plan establishment, the designation of the agricultural-industrial complex was officially announced in April 2023 through detailed design and local industrial complex plan review.

The specialized agricultural-industrial complex to be established in Goheung Bay will cover an area of 137,044㎡ (approximately 40,000 pyeong) around the Aviation Center (Goheung Bay) at 1170 Goso-ri, Goheung-eup, with a total project cost of 12.8 billion KRW.

The project is being promoted as a public development with a target completion in the second half of 2026, and will accommodate 25 companies across four industries, including drone manufacturing and research.

Governor Gong Young-min said at the groundbreaking ceremony, "The drone industry is a future strategic business that will become the wings of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Through the establishment of the specialized agricultural-industrial complex, we will firmly establish Goheung as a drone-centered city and lay the foundation for regional development by attracting solid companies, creating jobs, and increasing population."

Meanwhile, Goheung-gun has been making efforts to build related aviation infrastructure facilities, such as being selected in May this year for the "Eco-friendly Aircraft Electric Propulsion System Evaluation Infrastructure Construction Project (22.3 billion KRW)" and in June for the "Future Air Vehicle (AAV) Demonstration Safety Monitoring System Construction Project (14.3 billion KRW)."

A county official stated, "Once the specialized agricultural-industrial complex and planned aviation infrastructure facilities are established, a full-cycle support system for the drone industry?from research and manufacturing to demonstration?will be created. It is expected to generate about 1,500 jobs and approximately 46.5 billion KRW in direct and indirect economic effects."

Goheung = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shim Jeong-woo hss79@asiae.co.kr

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