[Provided by Andong City]
[Provided by Andong City]

Andong City in North Gyeongsang Province said Minister of SMEs and Startups Lee So-young attended a field forum at the North Gyeongsang Biotech Industry Research Institute on Friday to hear industry concerns and discuss regulatory improvements for the North Gyeongsang industrial hemp regulatory free zone.

The forum brought together Lee, National Assembly member Kim Hyeong-dong, North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo, officials from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the provincial government and Andong City, and about 40 representatives of free zone operators including Neocan Bio.

The gathering was organized to share the results of pilot projects carried out since the North Gyeongsang industrial hemp regulatory free zone was designated in 2020, and to explore regulatory improvements and support measures to invigorate the industry.

The free zone has pursued pilot projects covering industrial hemp cultivation, active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing and exports, and safety management, working to demonstrate the industrial viability of medical hemp and to build the related technology and oversight frameworks.

Lee pledged active regulatory reform, saying, "Pilot projects in regulatory free zones should not be mere regulatory suspensions — they should serve as laboratories for creating new standards."

Following an additional designation of the North Gyeongsang industrial hemp regulatory free zone this year, Andong City plans to invest a total of 29.5 billion won ($22.1 million) over four years from 2027 to 2030 to carry out new pilot projects.

The city plans to move beyond its existing focus on cannabidiol (CBD) by building a production platform for minor cannabinoids such as CBG, CBC and CBN, and to establish a full-cycle safety management system for controlled medical substance ingredients.

"We will work closely with related ministries to ensure that pilot results translate into meaningful regulatory improvements," an Andong City official said. "We will strengthen our technological competitiveness and industrial foundation so that Andong can grow into a hub for the medical hemp industry."


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