SEOSAN — "We will concentrate administrative resources on shifting Seosan's petrochemical industry toward higher value-added products, nurturing a future aviation industry and expanding the base for marine eco-tourism, creating new growth engines and improving residents' quality of life."
South Chungcheong Province Governor Park Soo-hyun made the remarks on the 19th in Seosan during the 10th stop of his "Chungnam Tour" program, where he listened to residents' views and local concerns before laying out the direction of his provincial administration and his vision for Seosan's development.
"For Seosan's sustainable development, we will first devote our efforts to overcoming the crisis in the petrochemical industry and shifting it toward eco-friendly, high value-added production," Park said.
The province plans to identify projects in new materials design and process optimization using artificial intelligence and digital technologies, as well as testing and certification infrastructure, and work to have them reflected in government support measures. It will also link comprehensive demonstration of high-performance specialty polymers with the development of research and demonstration facilities for sustainable aviation fuel, aiming to strengthen the competitiveness of the existing petrochemical industry and open new growth opportunities.
The province will also establish an institutional foundation to have the Daesan petrochemical complex designated and converted into a national industrial complex.
It plans to continue urging the National Assembly and relevant ministries to enact related legislation and provide support, and to hold consultations so that systematic industrial support and infrastructure expansion can be carried out at the national level.
Future air mobility will also be developed as a new mainstay industry for Seosan. Using research and demonstration facilities in the B district of the Cheonsu Bay reclaimed land, the province will push to build a future air mobility cluster covering urban air mobility and unmanned aircraft, and grow it into an industrial hub drawing related companies and research institutes.
The plan links Seosan's testing and evaluation base for core green urban air mobility components with the defense future aviation research center in Taean, while strengthening specialist training and industry-academia-research cooperation through Hanseo University's Glocal University project.
The province will also develop Garorim Bay into an eco-tourism hub where marine ecosystem conservation and sustainable use are balanced. It will flesh out plans for a national marine ecological park drawing on the bay's natural ecological assets, including spotted seals, Ecklonia cava kelp and gravel bars, and will work with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries with the goal of clearing a preliminary feasibility study in 2027.
Daesan Port will be developed into a hub for international cruise tourism. Building on this year's results from cruise ships using the port as both a home port and a port of call, the province will draw up a comprehensive plan to nurture the cruise industry, including port infrastructure improvements, tourism product development and strategies to attract shipping lines, laying the groundwork for sustainable growth.
The province will also actively expand transport networks to support Seosan's industry, tourism and residents' convenience.
For Seosan Airport, it will respond actively to required procedures such as a feasibility reassessment and continue consultations with relevant agencies.
For the central region's east-west railway, the province will work jointly with relevant local governments and the National Assembly to have it included in the fifth national railway network plan. For the Taean-Anseong expressway, which passed a private investment eligibility review in June, it will provide support so that follow-up procedures proceed on schedule.
In addition, the province will build a foundation for attracting investment from promising companies at home and abroad in preparation for the designation of a South Chungcheong free economic zone, including Seosan's Jigok district, and work to link this to the growth of advanced industries and the creation of local jobs.
"We will raise Seosan's industrial competitiveness and make the most of the value of its marine ecological assets, including Garorim Bay, to create new growth opportunities," Park pledged.