Gwangju Special City, Goheung County, South Gyeongsang Province and Sacheon City Call for Aerospace Complex City Special Act to Be Enacted by Year-End

【Financial News, Jeonnam-Gwangju = Reporter Hwang Tae-jong】 Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City (Gwangju Special City), Goheung County, South Gyeongsang Province and Sacheon City held a “Yeongnam-Honam Pan-National Rally Calling for Enactment of the Special Act on the Aerospace Complex City” in front of the National Assembly Building on the 9th, calling for the act to be enacted by year-end.
 The rally was organized to urge the bill’s placement on the agenda this month before the Bill Review Subcommittee of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee and its passage by year-end. The “Special Act on the Construction and Support of an Aerospace Complex City,” jointly introduced last December by 42 lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties, has been pending before the National Assembly for 11 months.
 If the special act is enacted, it will establish various special provisions and a basis for support for building an aerospace complex city, enabling the systematic expansion of industrial, research and educational facilities as well as infrastructure for people to settle there. It is also expected to boost industrial links between Yeongnam and Honam and the creation of a national aerospace industry ecosystem.
 According to Gwangju Special City, around 500 people, including officials and residents from Yeongnam and Honam, attended the rally. They included Kang Myeong-su, deputy mayor for industry and economy; South Gyeongsang Province Governor Park Wan-su; Goheung County Governor Gong Yeong-min; Sacheon Mayor Park Dong-sik; lawmakers Geumju Moon and Suh Cheon-Ho, who jointly introduced the special act as lead sponsors; Bok Ki-wang, secretary of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee; Song Hyeong-gon, speaker of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated City Council (Gwangju Special City Council); and Shin Jong-cheol, vice-chair of the South Gyeongsang Provincial Council.
 Participants spoke with one voice, saying that the special act must be enacted swiftly and supported at the national level to build a southern coastal aerospace industry belt linking Goheung’s launch vehicle industry with the aviation and satellite industries in Sacheon and Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province.
 Deputy Mayor Kang Myeong-su emphasized, “For Jeonnam-Gwangju and South Gyeongsang, the two pillars of the southern coastal aerospace industry belt, to grow together, it is urgent to create an aerospace complex city where businesses and talent can put down roots.” Kang added, “Aerospace is a national strategic industry, so local governments’ efforts alone have their limits, and active support from the national government is crucial.”
 Kang Myeong-su added, “As the government has declared its ambition to become one of the world’s five leading aerospace powers, we strongly urge the government and the National Assembly to make a responsible decision and deliver the outcome of enacting the special act by year-end.”
 After the rally, officials from local governments in Yeongnam and Honam, including Deputy Mayor Kang Myeong-su, and lawmakers met with People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, DPK floor leader Han Byung-do, People Power Party floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig, and Yoo Eui-dong, chair of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee. They handed over a collection of signatures from 150,000 residents of Yeongnam and Honam and asked for their cooperation in ensuring the special act passes the National Assembly swiftly.
 Before the administrative integration of Jeonnam-Gwangju, the former South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province agreed last September to jointly pursue the special act. After Gwangju Special City was launched, they continued to strengthen cooperation across the aerospace industry—including joint efforts to enact the act, attract businesses, develop talent and conduct research and development—through an agreement on shared development of the southern coastal region in October.
 Gwangju Special City plans to continue working with South Gyeongsang Province to secure the swift enactment of the special act and emerge as a key hub for the Republic of Korea’s aerospace industry through initiatives including the development of the Goheung National Industrial Complex for Space Launch Vehicles and the promotion of the private space industry.

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