Building a Defense Industry Innovation Cluster Centered on Goheung, Jeonnam...Aiming to Become a Hub for the National Defense Space Industry

The moment of the Nuri rocket launch. Provided by Jeonnam Province

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Jeonnam Province is making a concerted effort to be selected for the Defense Industry Innovation Cluster project by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. With the nation’s only space launch infrastructure and a solid manufacturing base, the province aims to become a new hub for the national defense space industry.

For this project, Jeonnam Province is putting forward the “convergence of space and defense” as its core competitive edge. In Goheung, the country’s only national industrial complex specializing in space launch vehicles is under construction. In particular, the second phase is focused on solid-fuel-based manufacturing and the defense sector.

In addition, the establishment of a Launch Vehicle Technology Commercialization Center, which is essential for private space development, and plans for a dedicated defense satellite launch facility are further strengthening the province's position as a base for the defense space industry.

Furthermore, the manufacturing base centered on Suncheon, including metal processing and precision machinery, has enabled the clustering of the parts and materials industry. Jeonnam Province has secured a differentiated competitive advantage by combining Goheung’s space infrastructure with Suncheon’s manufacturing capabilities.

Jeonnam Province’s plan to create a Defense Industry Innovation Cluster aligns with the government’s national policy goal of “advancing the national defense space strategy.” The province’s space infrastructure is expected to play a key role in the government’s initiatives to strengthen space security, secure defense satellite launch capabilities, and achieve autonomy in space launch vehicles.

To participate in this project, Jeonnam Province has systematically built a defense industry ecosystem. By enacting ordinances to foster and support the defense industry and holding a symposium on defense industry development, the province has established an institutional foundation. In addition, the Jeonnam Defense Industry Development Council, which includes Hanwha, Hyundai Rotem, Korean Air, and Innospace, has been formed, establishing an industry-academia-research collaboration system.

The Defense Industry Innovation Cluster is a key national project that provides infrastructure for local small and medium-sized enterprises wishing to enter the defense industry and supports their growth through research and development (R&D) and various business support measures.

Through this initiative, Jeonnam Province plans to provide a foothold for local SMEs to enter next-generation growth sectors such as space launch vehicles and defense satellites.

Woo Sam-sik, Director of New Space Industries at Jeonnam Province, said, “Based on Jeonnam’s unique and unrivaled space infrastructure, which cannot be found anywhere else in the country, we will lead the national defense space industry of South Korea.”

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