The Jeonnam Gwangju Free Economic Zone Authority said Monday it earned an S rating — the highest possible — for the second consecutive year in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's 2025 national free economic zone performance evaluation.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy conducts an annual comprehensive evaluation of free economic zones nationwide, assessing three areas: management and operations, project performance, and future ecosystem development.
The authority received consistently high marks across all categories, including strategic investment attraction, field-oriented regulatory reform, and efficient fiscal and organizational management.
The authority established a vision of becoming an "AI-based convergence industry hub" in line with the government's national policy agenda and Gwangju's five priority emerging industries. Building on that vision, it successfully led the clustering of key regional industries — AI, future mobility and energy — by proactively attracting leading domestic and foreign anchor companies and significantly upgrading the region's supply chain and industrial infrastructure.
On-the-ground administrative support for businesses also played a significant role. Through tenant company forums, site visits and operational surveys, the authority proactively identified and resolved difficulties faced by businesses, boosting management satisfaction among tenant companies.
Sun Seok-gi, commissioner of the Jeonnam Gwangju Free Economic Zone Authority, said the back-to-back S ratings were "the result of every staff member working together on the ground to advance new regional industries and resolve business difficulties." He added that the authority would "translate zone-specific strategies into phased implementation road maps and expand collaboration with relevant agencies to deliver results and tangible investment attraction performance."
sij@heraldcorp.com
