Hydrogen Mobility Inspection Center to Be Established in Jeonbuk State

【Financial News, Jeonju = Kang In, Reporter】 Jeonbuk State is moving to establish Honam's first Hydrogen Mobility Inspection Center to ensure the safety of hydrogen commercial vehicles and strengthen the competitiveness of the hydrogen mobility industry.
On the 21st, Jeonbuk State signed a memorandum of understanding with Wanju County and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority at the Jeonbuk State Government Office to establish the Hydrogen Mobility Inspection Center. Lee Won-taek, governor of Jeonbuk State; Yoo Hee-tae, governor of Wanju County; and Yong-Sik Jung, president of the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, attended the signing ceremony.
The project aims to establish a professional safety inspection infrastructure in preparation for the expanded deployment of hydrogen commercial vehicles. It will also create a one-stop system in Wanju, the country's only production site for hydrogen commercial vehicles, linking production with inspection and safety management.
The Hydrogen Mobility Inspection Center will be built in the Wanju Techno Valley Industrial Complex. A total of 8.13 billion won will be invested over three years, from 2026 to 2028, including 6.53 billion won in national funds and 1.6 billion won in local government funds. The Korea Transportation Safety Authority will oversee the project.
The center will be equipped with specialized inspection equipment and safety facilities, including gas leakage measuring devices and automatic ventilation systems with gas leak detection, to inspect the pressure-resistant containers used in hydrogen passenger and commercial vehicles. It plans to conduct the safety inspections required for hydrogen vehicle operation and establish a specialized inspection system to prevent accidents.
Under the agreement, Jeonbuk State and Wanju County will provide the administrative and financial support needed to advance the project, including land acquisition and licensing. The Korea Transportation Safety Authority will be responsible for constructing and operating the center and introducing hydrogen-specific inspection equipment.
The project will begin with detailed design work in September this year, followed by land acquisition and licensing procedures in the first half of 2027, with completion targeted for 2028.
Jeonbuk State expects the completed inspection center to strengthen the region's hydrogen vehicle safety management capabilities by adding specialized inspection facilities to Wanju's existing hydrogen commercial vehicle production base. In particular, the center is expected to help meet the growing deployment of hydrogen commercial vehicles and expand the safety infrastructure for the hydrogen mobility industry in the Honam region.
Lee Won-taek, governor of Jeonbuk State, said, "A robust inspection system to support safety is more important than anything else for the growth of the hydrogen commercial vehicle industry." He added, "With this agreement as a starting point, we will continue working with relevant organizations so that Jeonbuk State can emerge as a regional leader not only in the production of hydrogen commercial vehicles, but also in their inspection and safety management."


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