North Gyeongsang Province Steps Up K-Food Industry Development, Breaks Ground for Korea Food Research Institute Branch

【Financial News, Andong and Gumi = Kim Jang-ho】North Gyeongsang Province and Gumi are taking concrete steps to develop the province’s food industry into a future growth engine, drawing attention.
North Gyeongsang Province and Gumi will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on the 16th for the construction of the North Gyeongsang Branch of the Korea Food Research Institute at Seonsan-eup in Gumi.
The project, which began with Gumi’s application to host the institute’s North Gyeongsang branch in 2012, is finally entering full-scale construction after nearly 14 years of efforts. It marks a major achievement 12 years after receiving approval from the board of the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST).
The North Gyeongsang Branch of the Korea Food Research Institute will be built in Gyori, Seonsan-eup, Gumi, with a total project cost of 27.1 billion won. The complex will occupy a 6,596-square-meter site and have a total floor area of 4,944 square meters, comprising three buildings with office and research facilities, pilot plant facilities, and welfare facilities. It is scheduled to open in April 2028.
Governor Lee Cheol-woo said, "The global food market is worth approximately $10 trillion, or more than 10 quadrillion won, making it a future industry more than five times the size of South Korea’s GDP and larger than the semiconductor market. We must not view the food industry, which will never disappear as long as humanity exists, merely as an auxiliary industry to agriculture. Now that the world is enthusiastic about K-food, we must seize this opportunity and supply quality Korean ingredients and high-value-added food products."
After its opening, the branch will pursue the commercialization of high-value-added local agricultural and food products, research into new materials such as marine bioresources, and the development of smart food manufacturing and distribution technologies that combine information technology (IT), robotics, and machinery.
It plans to provide technology support and train personnel for local farming organizations and food companies, establishing itself as a key research and development and technology demonstration hub for the future industrialization of K-food.
Mayor Kim Jang-ho added, "We will establish Gumi as a hub of South Korea’s food Hallyu industry through a strategy that connects the functions and resources Gumi possesses. Together with North Gyeongsang Province, I hope this will become the starting point for opening a new era for the province’s food industry. We will provide unwavering support so that Gumi can become a strong partner leading the globalization of K-food."
Meanwhile, the province and city expect the North Gyeongsang branch to advance smart food manufacturing technologies by connecting the Korea Food Research Institute’s research and development capabilities with the region’s advanced manufacturing technologies. They also expect it to help strengthen the competitiveness of technologies addressing challenges faced by the food industry.
The branch also plans to provide technology support and train personnel for local farming organizations and food companies, establishing itself as a key research and development and technology demonstration hub for the future industrialization of K-food.

[email protected] Kim Jang-ho Reporter