JEOLLABUK-DO < invest Korea

According to Yonhap News,

(JEONJU=Yonhap News) Reporter Lim Chae-doo = Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province (Jeonbuk State) announced on the 23rd that it has proposed three sectors—Renewable Energy, Advanced AI Mobility, and Food/Health-tech—as the "Growth Engine Projects" for the government's '5 Mega-regions & 3 Special Provinces' initiative.

The government plans to foster 2 to 3 growth engine industries for each region after comprehensively uating industrial infrastructure, growth potential, and anchor company investment plans. First, the renewable energy project proposed by Jeonbuk State is based on large-scale power generation projects in Saemangeum. The plan is to invest KRW 31 trillion in Saemangeum and the Gochang/Buan offshore areas by 2030 to create a 7GW renewable energy complex, including 4GW of offshore wind and 3GW of onshore/floating solar power.

Jeonbuk State also explained that the province is an ideal location for the advanced AI mobility business, as it has established a materials and components value chain centered on finished vehicle manufacturers such as Hyundai Motor, Tata Daewoo, TYM, and LS Mtron. In August last year, the province established a foundation for physical AI growth by securing a KRW 1 trillion R&D ecosystem project for 'Collaborative Intelligence Physical AI-based Software Platforms' and obtaining an exemption from the preliminary feasibility study.

Furthermore, the province plans to foster the food and health-tech industries by leveraging its differentiated strengths, such as Gimje's seeds and smart agriculture, Sunchang's fermented microorganisms, and Iksan's National Food Cluster. In particular, the 'One-Link System,' which handles everything from research and development (R&D) to non-clinical (GLP), clinical (GCP), and final product production in one location, is uated as top-tier in the country.

The government plans to select regional support projects in February, establish industrial fostering plans by June, and finalize budget reflections. An official from Jeonbuk State stated, "Along with the national asset of Saemangeum, Jeonbuk possesses verification infrastructure and industrial ecosystems in the energy, mobility, and bio sectors that other regions do not have. We will establish ourselves as a new growth hub for South Korea by using this growth engine project as a stepping stone."

doo@yna.co.kr



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Source Text

Source: Yonhap News (January 23, 2026)

** This article was translated from Korean.