▲ Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy building
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) is drafting a blueprint for the "5-Pole, 3-Special" growth engine in collaboration with local governments, businesses, and institutions.
On Wednesday (June 10), the Ministry held the "5-Pole, 3-Special Growth Engine Strategy Forum" at the AI Industry Convergence Business Agency in Gwangju, presided over by Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak and attended by approximately 100 representatives from local governments, key regional anchor companies, and innovation institutions.
The "5-Pole, 3-Special" strategy is a national balanced development initiative aimed at moving away from the single-pole system centered on the Seoul metropolitan area and reorganizing the country into five mega-regions (Seoul Metropolitan, Southeast, Daegu-Gyeongbuk, Central, and Honam) and three special self-governing provinces (Gangwon, Jeonbuk, and Jeju).
This forum was organized to discuss regional industrial conditions and future growth potential based on the industries desired by each region.
Starting with this forum in the Southwest region, the Ministry plans to tour all regions excluding the Seoul metropolitan area to gather feedback, including stops in Jeju (June 19), the Central region (June 23), the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region (June 24), Jeonbuk (June 26), Gangwon (June 29), and the Southeast region (June 30).
During the forum, expert presentations and panel discussions were held regarding the current status and development direction of industries in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions.
Kim Hee-sam, Executive Director at Kia, stated, "We are planning continuous investment in the Gwangju plant in connection with the growth engine," adding, "Government-level policy and financial support are necessary to strengthen the automotive industry ecosystem in the Southwest region."
Kim Young-moon, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Economy of Gwangju Metropolitan City, said, "We will continue to strengthen communication and cooperation between the central and local governments for the success of the 5-Pole, 3-Special growth engine."
Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak emphasized, "Today's forum is the starting point for transforming the industrial map of South Korea's economic growth into a multi-polar system of 5 poles and 3 specials," and added, "We will mobilize all available policy tools to support each region in building its own independent industrial ecosystem."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.