Aging Industrial Complexes Become Cultural Landmarks... Launch of Cultural Leading Industrial Complex Project

[Financial News] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will hold the '2025 Cultural Leading Industrial Complex Project Launch Ceremony' on the 29th at the Gateway Tower in Seoul Station with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The Cultural Leading Industrial Complex is a key initiative of the 'Plan for Creating Industrial Complexes with Culture' announced jointly by multiple ministries. The goal is to transform industrial complexes into vibrant spaces that attract young people by building integrated brands and landmarks reflecting the main industries and historical significance of each complex, and by focusing on expanding facilities and infrastructure by each ministry and supporting cultural and content projects.
This year, three complexes have been selected as Cultural Leading Industrial Complexes: △Gumi National Industrial Complex △Changwon National Industrial Complex △Wanju General Industrial Complex, with plans to designate 10 complexes by 2027.
The Gumi National Industrial Complex envisions a home where young people want to live, coexisting with industrial heritage and culture. It aims to create a landmark using buildings that preserve the history of the textile industry and to develop it into a cultural core hub by concentrating cultural facilities around the landmark.
The Changwon National Industrial Complex envisions a meta-cultural complex embracing machinery and defense industries, creating an experience and exhibition hall with themes of precision machinery and defense within the landmark. To establish a brand befitting the largest comprehensive machinery complex in the country, it will develop and exhibit experiential content by integrating the machinery and defense industries with culture and arts. Industrial tourism tours will also be operated in connection with related companies.
The Wanju General Industrial Complex promotes the history of the Wanju complex and creates a landmark where one can experience the automotive and hydrogen industries within the complex. The comprehensive welfare center for workers within the complex will be transformed into an educational space for video production and 3D modeling, operating creative programs linked to the automotive and hydrogen industries.
Additionally, the Cultural City Industrial Complex will operate a Youth Design Living Lab involving over 200 young workers. It will discover ideas to remodel the industrial complex space from a youth perspective and propose and develop programs and services essential for workers.
Oh Seung-chul, Director of the Industrial Base Division at the Ministry of Industry, said, "We will support the Cultural Leading Industrial Complex to establish itself as a representative landmark and key hub of growth in the local community."
Lee Jeong-woo, Director of the Cultural Arts Policy Division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "We will actively support the aging industrial complexes to be reborn as new cultural centers in the region."
Lee Sang-joo, Director of the National Urban Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "We plan to actively promote the transition from traditional industries to advanced industries in the process of establishing regeneration project plans with local governments."

act@fnnews.com Choi Ah-young Reporter