Event reflects government's commitment to balanced national growth and regional industry under the five-hub, three-special-zone framework

Park Dong-il, director general for industrial policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy [The Herald Business DB]
Park Dong-il, director general for industrial policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy [The Herald Business DB]

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held the 2026 Industrial Complex Day ceremony Monday at the Grand Ballroom of Exco in Daegu.

Industrial Complex Day marks the anniversary of the enactment of the Export Industrial Complex Development Act on Sept. 14, 1964, which established the legal basis for building industrial complexes in South Korea. This year's ceremony was held outside the greater Seoul area for the first time, reflecting the government's commitment to balanced national growth under the five-hub, three-special-zone framework and to revitalizing regional industries.

At the ceremony, 153 people were honored for their contributions to the industrial complex sector. Jung Jae-deok, chief executive of Irim Electronics, received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit. Jung was recognized for sourcing more than 90 percent of the key raw materials for ignition coils from domestic suppliers, strengthening cooperation with local parts and materials companies to boost the competitiveness of the future vehicle industry, and building partnerships with local schools to promote youth employment.

Presidential commendations went to Kwon Soon-tak, chief executive of Taesung Industrial, and Kim Gang-hun, chief executive of Ssangyoung Banjuck. Kwon was recognized for developing high-value-added import-substitution products through university-industry collaboration and for opening overseas markets including China. Kim, who has worked in the textile industry for more than 38 years, was honored for his sustained accumulation of technical expertise — including obtaining a textile technology engineer certification and filing or registering 10 patents related to hanji yarn.

Alongside the ceremony, an industrial complex export fair runs at Exco through Wednesday. Regional offices of the Korea Industrial Complex Corp. across the country will hold an "Industrial Complex Week" through Sunday, featuring seminars, cultural events and community service activities in their respective regions.

Park Dong-il, Director General for Industrial Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, said "the successful establishment of balanced growth under the five-hub, three-special-zone framework and the manufacturing AI transformation — M.AX — is essential to opening a new era in which regions drive national growth." He called on the government, businesses and workers to work together to drive innovation at industrial complexes, which serve as the hubs of regional industry.


oskymoon@heraldcorp.com