[June 3 Election] Kim Kwan-young: "Attracting 15 More Major Corporations to Jeollabuk-do... Ushering in the 50 Trillion Won Era"

"Attracting Investment Means Changing Lives in the Region"

Kim Kwan-young, a preliminary candidate for Governor of Jeollabuk-do Special Self-Governing Province, unveiled his plan to attract an additional 15 large corporations over the next four years, ushering in an era of 50 trillion won in cumulative investment. He aims to elevate the region’s industrial structure to the next level, building on the momentum of investment expansion during the 8th popularly elected administration.

On May 13, Kim held a policy press conference at the briefing room of the Jeollabuk-do Provincial Council, stating, “Over the past four years, Jeollabuk-do’s economy has started moving again,” and added, “Now is the time for a bigger leap to completely transform the industrial landscape of Jeollabuk-do.”

He explained that during the ten years prior to the 8th administration, Jeollabuk-do attracted an average of just under 2 trillion won per year in investments, but recently, the annual average has grown to approximately 7 trillion won. He cited investment cases from major corporations such as LS, Doosan, and Hyundai Rotem, emphasizing, “The industrial structure is rapidly being reorganized around secondary batteries, biotech, the defense industry, and renewable energy.”

He evaluated Hyundai Motor Group’s Saemangeum investment plan, announced in February this year, as a turning point in Jeollabuk-do’s industrial transformation.

Kim noted, “Saemangeum is no longer just a simple development project. It is transforming into a forward base for future industries,” and added, “It will serve as a foundation for the full-scale growth of new sectors such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, and hydrogen industries.”

Recently, Saemangeum has seen a rapid formation of an industrial cluster as secondary battery materials companies and renewable energy-related firms have moved in one after another. While Jeollabuk-do has faced local economic challenges such as the decline of the Gunsan shipbuilding industry and population outflow, there is now a growing sense of optimism for industrial recovery, fueled by large-scale corporate investments and the establishment of national industrial complexes.

Kim presented the following as core goals for the 9th popularly elected administration: ▲Attracting 15 large corporations ▲Achieving a cumulative investment of 50 trillion won ▲Transitioning the industrial structure to focus on future high-tech industries.

He stated, “The seeds of change sown during the 8th administration will lead to tangible improvements in residents’ lives over the next four years,” and added, “We will enhance Jeollabuk-do’s competitiveness and create a new model of success.”