Jeonbuk Province Accelerates Efforts to Foster National Hub in Agro-Bio Industry

Three Zones Including Namwon ECO Smart Farm Industry Zone

Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province plans to make every effort to designate three Agri-Bio Industry Zones within the first half of the year to foster the agri-bio industry?a field in which Jeonbuk has a competitive edge?as a national hub, following the implementation of the 'Jeonbuk Special Act' on December 27, 2024.

According to the province on the 18th, the Agri-Bio Industry Zones to be designated this time are: Namwon ECO Smart Farm Industry Zone (60.1 ha), Jinan Hongsam Herbal Industry Zone (7.3 ha), and Gochang Four-Season Kimchi Specialized Industry Zone (16.8 ha).

Namwon ECO Smart Farm Industrial Complex. Provided by Jeonbuk Province

The Namwon ECO Smart Farm Industry Zone will be established as the forward base for the Jeonbuk Agri-Bio Smart Farm Hub. The Jinan Hongsam Herbal Industry Zone will be developed as a concentrated facility complex for the hongsam industry, based on the nation's only hongsam special district. Additionally, the Gochang Four-Season Kimchi Specialized Industry Zone will be created as an industrial complex encompassing the entire process of kimchi production, processing, distribution, and experience.

The province completed consultations on the basic plan for the agri-bio industry and the implementation plans for each zone with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and other central government agencies in December last year. The strategic environmental impact assessment procedures with the Jeonbuk Regional Environmental Office are being carried out promptly following the implementation of the Jeonbuk Special Act.

The strategic environmental impact assessment is an essential administrative procedure to evaluate the environmental impact of establishing the Agri-Bio Industry Zones and to establish environmental conservation measures. Starting today, the province will make the draft of the strategic environmental impact assessment available for public viewing on the provincial and relevant city/county government websites for 20 days, and will actively collect opinions from local residents by holding resident briefings in the assessment target areas.

Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province will reflect the opinions received during the public viewing and resident briefing period in the assessment report, and will conduct additional small-scale environmental impact assessments during the implementation design phase to ensure the zones are developed as sustainable industrial complexes.

Choi Jaeyong, Director of the Provincial Agri-Bio Livestock Industry Bureau, stated, "We will foster the Agri-Bio Industry Zones so that they are recognized nationwide as successful models of agricultural innovation, going beyond simple agricultural complexes," and added, "We will spare no effort to support their growth into more competitive, high-income, future-oriented industries."

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