Pohang Salmon Aquaculture Complex Gains Momentum with Selection for LH Public Land Banking Project

Phase 2 Support Site Secured, Boosting the Salmon Industry Ecosystem Connecting Research, Production, Processing, and Distribution
Land Pre-acquired by LH: Cost Reduction, Shortened Project Timeline, Annual Production Target of 11,000 Tons by 2030

The salmon aquaculture specialized complex development project, promoted by Pohang City as a future growth industry, is gaining momentum after being selected for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's public land banking project for public development.

The city announced that on March 11, the "Phase 2 area of the salmon aquaculture complex support site" was finally selected as a target for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH)'s 2026 public land banking project for public development.

Smart Aquaculture Cluster Testbed Aerial View. Provided by Pohang City

The Pohang Salmon Aquaculture Specialized Complex will be established on a 222,669㎡ site in Geumgok-ri, Janggi-myeon, with a total project cost of 78.3 billion won.

The first phase of the project was selected in September 2024 as a target for the land banking project. With the remaining area of the support site now newly selected as Phase 2, the acquisition of the entire industrial complex site has become possible.

In particular, the salmon smart aquaculture testbed (26,941㎡) is scheduled for completion in April 2026, further accelerating project implementation.

After the completion of the testbed, Pohang City plans to import Atlantic salmon eyed eggs from Norway and launch full-scale aquaculture demonstration trials. With the selection for this land banking project, the city will be able to secure the entire support site on schedule, gaining momentum in establishing an industry ecosystem connecting research, production, processing, and distribution.

The public land banking project is a system in which the LH Land Bank pre-acquires and compensates for land, and then supplies it to developers in a timely manner.

Pohang City expects that securing land before price increases will help reduce project costs, and anticipates that the maximum five-year installment payment method will ease the financial burden.

Additionally, with LH exclusively handling the land compensation work, the administrative burden will be reduced and the project implementation period shortened, making it possible to begin construction of the support site within 2026.

Pohang City plans to begin construction within this year after undergoing the Gyeongbuk Provincial industrial complex plan review in June.

If the project proceeds as planned, "Pohang salmon" is expected to be shipped for the first time in December 2027, and by 2030, the salmon aquaculture industrial complex will be established with an annual production capacity of 11,000 tons.

Kim Jeongpyo, Director of the Oceans and Fisheries Bureau, stated, "With the selection of the Phase 2 support site for the land banking project, the critical issue of securing land for the salmon aquaculture complex has been resolved. We will proceed seamlessly from the completion of the testbed to the construction of the support site, fostering Pohang into a global smart fisheries hub city targeting the Northeast Asian salmon market."

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