Saemangeum Faces 9 Trillion Won Investment Boom Amid Leadership Vacuum

With Hyundai Motor Group's announcement of a 9 trillion won investment and the government's launch of a major innovation task force (TF), Saemangeum is facing its biggest turning point in 30 years. However, there is growing concern over whether this golden opportunity can be seized, as both the head and the deputy head of the Saemangeum Development Agency, who are supposed to spearhead the project, remain vacant for the first time in history.

Former Saemangeum Development Agency Head Kim Euigyeom, Yonhap News Agency

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According to the Saemangeum Development Agency and North Jeolla Province on April 23, Hyundai Motor Group officially unveiled its investment plan worth over 9 trillion won in Gunsan this February, spanning an AI data center, robotics, solar power, and hydrogen industries. This is the largest private investment in the region's history. At the time, Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon stated, "Construction on the AI data center will begin in 2027 and will be completed by the end of 2029."

The government is also aligning its efforts. The 'Saemangeum and North Jeolla Province Grand Innovation Task Force', led by the Prime Minister, has been holding meetings almost every week and is expediting permits and support for infrastructure.

The problem is that there is currently no leader overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Saemangeum Development Agency, who should be coordinating all these discussions. Former head Kim Eui-gyeom resigned on March 13, just eight months after taking office, to run in the June 3 by-elections (Gunsan, Gimje, Buan-Gap). The deputy head's position has also remained vacant for over 100 days, ever since the previous deputy retired at the end of last year. This is an unprecedented situation since the agency's establishment, with both top positions vacant simultaneously.

Currently, the director of planning and coordination is acting as the head, and the director of development strategy is acting as the deputy head. As a result, the acting head attends the TF meetings chaired by the Prime Minister, while the acting deputy head attends lower-level meetings.

Regarding this situation, Saemangeum Development Agency spokesperson Lee Sang-pil explained, "Although our agency belongs to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the authority to appoint personnel rests with the President," adding, "As a national administrative agency, we are carrying out our work according to established manuals and systems. All scheduled plans and work are proceeding without disruption. There is no situation that outsiders should be concerned about."

However, the perspective on the ground is different. With the deadlines for revising the Saemangeum master plan and submitting applications for next year's national budget approaching in May, there are concerns that it is difficult for acting directors at the bureau level to coordinate between ministries and make policy decisions without an actual decision-maker in place.

Last month, immediately after former head Kim's resignation, the Saemangeum Residents' Assembly for Seawater Circulation and Development Plan Change and the North Jeolla Environmental Movement Union issued a joint statement, claiming, "It is a clear betrayal to the people of North Jeolla Province for the person responsible for a national project to leave for personal political ambitions." They argued that the head position has become a 'reward for loyalty' appointment and are demanding a structural overhaul of the Saemangeum Committee's composition and operation, as well as the immediate appointment of a professional and capable individual.

Despite some concerns, North Jeolla Province remains committed to making Saemangeum the most dynamic 'land of opportunity' in Korea.

On April 21, marking the 20th anniversary of the Saemangeum seawall construction, the province declared a "new era of great leaps for Saemangeum," highlighting not just its outward growth, but also the transformation of its landscape, and pledged to ensure that local residents benefit from the investments made by large corporations such as Hyundai Motor Group.

At a briefing on April 21, Kim Mi-jung, Director of Saemangeum Marine Affairs and Fisheries at North Jeolla Province, stated, "If the seawall construction 20 years ago marked the beginning of Saemangeum, the current establishment of core infrastructure and investments by major corporations represent a pivotal turning point for the next 100 years of North Jeolla Province. We will focus all administrative resources to ensure that the miracle of turning sea into land brings real prosperity to local residents."

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