Lawmakers and local officials gather at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on Wednesday to call for the enactment of a special law establishing a K-aerospace complex city through cooperation between the Yeongnam and Honam regions. [South Gyeongsang Province]
Lawmakers and local officials gather at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on Wednesday to call for the enactment of a special law establishing a K-aerospace complex city through cooperation between the Yeongnam and Honam regions. [South Gyeongsang Province]

South Gyeongsang Province and the South Jeolla Province-Gwangju integrated special city are jointly pushing for the early enactment of a special law to establish an aerospace industrial belt along the southern coast, linking Sacheon and Jinju with Goheung-gun.

South Gyeongsang Province said it hosted a National Assembly forum Wednesday at the National Assembly Members' Office Building under the theme "Yeongnam-Honam aerospace alliance: enacting the K-aerospace complex city special law." The forum was co-hosted by People Power Party lawmaker Seo Cheon-ho and Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Moon Geum-ju, and jointly organized by South Gyeongsang Province, the South Jeolla Province-Gwangju integrated special city, Sacheon and Goheung-gun.

Participants discussed ways to develop the southern coastal region into a national hub for the aerospace industry by linking Sacheon and Jinju in South Gyeongsang Province — home to the Korea AeroSpace Administration — with Goheung-gun, where the Naro Space Center is located. They agreed that attracting top aerospace talent and domestic and foreign companies would require building an aerospace complex city with industrial, research and development, residential, educational and cultural functions.

Participants also called for a special law providing the legal basis for national fiscal support, deregulation and infrastructure expansion to ensure the stable development of the complex city. A related bill has cleared a plenary session of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee and been referred to its legislation review subcommittee, with public hearings and further subcommittee review still ahead.

South Gyeongsang Province Vice Governor Park Il-ung said the aerospace complex city is "a core engine for Yeongnam and Honam to join forces, overcome the Greater Seoul-centric structure and lead balanced national development," adding that "the full support of the National Assembly and the government is needed so we do not miss the golden window for South Korea to leap forward as an aerospace powerhouse."

South Gyeongsang Province said it plans to strengthen cooperation with local governments along the southern coast, including the South Jeolla Province-Gwangju integrated special city, and continue its legislative efforts to ensure the special law passes a plenary session of the National Assembly before the end of this year.


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