Gangwon Regional Unification Plus Center Holds 2026 Peace Economy Special Zone Designation Advisory Committee Meeting

Full-Fledged Advisory Committee Formed
for the Designation of 'Peace Economy Special Zones'
in Seven Cities and Counties

The Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Gangwon Regional Unification Plus Center held the "2026 Peace Economy Special Zone Designation Advisory Committee" meeting on the 14th to discuss advisory directions for the designation of the 2026 Peace Economy Special Zone.

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Gangwon Regional Unification Plus Center held the '2026 Peace Economy Special Zone Designation Advisory Committee' on the 14th to discuss advisory directions for the designation of the 2026 Peace Economy Special Zone. Provided by Gangwon Province

For this Advisory Committee, with the position of Director of Planning and Coordination vacant, Tak Yeonmi, Director of Policy Planning, served as the acting chair and presided over the meeting. The Head of the Border Area Division and the Director of the Unification Plus Center of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province were appointed as ex officio committee members.

Experts who participated in the formulation of the basic concept and master plan for the Peace Economy Special Zone were appointed as private sector members.

The advisory committee also included Yang Cheol, Head of Decentralization Research at the Gangwon Research Institute; Kang Minjo, Director of the Korean Peninsula and East Asia Research Center at the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements; Na Yongwoo, Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification; along with experts in special zone and industrial complex designation such as Professor Jung Sunghoon, President of the Korean Geographical Society at Kangwon National University, and Ahn Jaeho, Head of the Industrial Regulation Team at Gangwon Technopark.

On this day, the committee members shared the "Peace Economy Special Zone Development Plan Announcement" issued by the Ministry of Unification on February 12, 2026, received a briefing from the Director of the Unification Plus Center on the development plan outlines submitted for Chuncheon City, Sokcho City, and Goseong County, and conducted reviews and discussions on the direction for drafting the development plan and evaluation criteria.

The Advisory Committee plans to focus its key advisory activities on Chuncheon City, Sokcho City, and Goseong County, with the goal of submitting the development plans by September 30, 2026.

In addition, advisory support will continue for the other four counties—Yanggu, Cheorwon, Hwacheon, and Inje—with the goal of submitting their plans by August 31, 2027.

Furthermore, Chuncheon City, Sokcho City, and Goseong County will further supplement and refine their "Peace Economy Special Zone Development Plans" by incorporating feedback from the Advisory Committee, and plan to submit the final development plans after two presentation sessions scheduled for June and September.

Tak Yeonmi, Director of Policy Planning at Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, stated, "The designation of the Peace Economy Special Zone will be an important opportunity for balanced development in border areas through the expansion of infrastructure and the creation of industrial and tourism special zones. We will focus the province's capabilities to ensure the designation of the special zone, a key long-standing project for local governments in border areas, is realized and contributes meaningfully to the lives of our residents."

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