Gyeonggi & Chungnam to Build
High-Tech Complex
- Sign a deal calling for the creation of a cluster

Gyeonggi-do and Chungcheong nam-do provinces have joined forces to build a super-sized cluster centering around automobiles, IT and display industries on their border as part of their collaboration of efforts to ensure regional development for coexistence.
Gyeonggi Gov. Sohn Hak-kyu and Chugncheong-namdo Gov. Shim Dae-pyong signed an agreement on regional development for coexistence and agreed to form a working-level team on the implementation of the deal, during their meeting at the Seoul Plaza Hotel in downtown Seoul on Jan. 27. Amid a variety of side effects, caused by widespread regionalism, it is the first time that two provincial metropolitan governments have teamed up to operate a mutual program based on coexistence.
Gov. Sohn said, "Gyeonggi Province and Chungcheongnam-do Province or Chungnam have virtually been consolidated into a living sphere a long time ago on top of the opening of the subway line between Suwon and Cheonan, and the two provincial governments will do their best to develop the provinces as part of an economic hub in Northeast Asia through the pact."
Gov. Shim said, "The agreement will serve as an opportunity to form a new historic framework of regional development, and I will do my utmost to cooperate as a partner in this coexistence."
Under the agreement, the two provinces will go into high gear to complete their bid to construct a projected common economic zone along with a high-tech industrial complex after drawing up a master plan. The rationale of the projected plan is to concentrate similar industries into one place and to remove administrative wastes along with creating new knowledge and technology though sharing information and knowledge.
Elaborating on the envisaged super-size cluster, Chungcheongnam-do Gov. Shim said Chungcheongnam-do and Gyeonggi-do governments jointly asked the central government to advance the construction of the planned railroad network along the Western Sea coast while focusing on elevating the logistics function of Pyeongtaek and Dangjin ports as one of their major priority projects, to be carried out during this year.
The two provincial governments agreed to raise a common fund worth 50 billion won aimed at technological development and corporate support as part of their joint bid to cultivate parts, materials and equipment companies. They also decided to advance the ground-breaking of the cross-province road network linking Asan and Pyeongtaek via Cheonan by two years by 2008, while seeking to open an intersection of the road north of Cheonan.
The two provinces plan to participate in projects to raise the total number of berths and establish a company in charge of operating Pyeongtaek and Dangjin ports in a bid to soup up the logistics function of the two ports.
They also plan to push for the construction of a high-tech industrial complex in order to prevent disorderly construction on their border area and offer land for industrial use at lower prices. Gov. Sohn said they would launch a project to build up an infrastructure for the creation of a high-tech industrial complex covering 2.5 billion to 5 million won after conducting a feasibility study.
Gov. Sohn noted that it is urgent to develop each hinterland of the two ports, and the two provincial governments would submit an application by next year on creating an economic free zone, pending the outcome of the feasibility survey.
The two provinces decided to establish a working-level implementation corps, headed by a bureau chief for regular meetings every month and evolve the body into a provincial cooperation in the future.
One day earlier, Gyeonggi Gov. Sohn unveiled a plan to create a total of 1 million jobs in the province, including 260,000 jobs during this year.
The governor told reporters in Seoul that he will preside over a job-creating meeting once per month and manage job creation in a systematic way by establishing a job creation situation room and a job creation map.
Gov. Sohn proposed an establishment of an administrative consultation committee that included a body of Chief Executive, economic ministers, and 16 city and provincial government heads to design and discuss ways of recovering the sagging economy.
As part of its efforts to create jobs, he said, his provincial government will positively attract R&D centers of multinational corporations, including attracting Institute Pasteur, to the Pangyo area with the goal of luring foreign direct investments worth more than $2 billion.
Gov. Sohn proposed to North Korea an inter-Korean joint farming project calling for farming a model rice paddy field covering 100ha in Hwanghaebuk-do with an initial investment of 2 billion for this year. nw