NAJU — The city of Naju in Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City has made a bid for what it calls "Season 2" of the Bitgaram Innovation City. Ahead of the government's second round of public agency relocations, the city has put forward the argument that agencies functionally linked to the energy industry ecosystem built around Korea Electric Power Corp. should be concentrated in the Bitgaram Innovation City, rather than being distributed simply to balance regional interests.
The city formally conveyed to the government and the National Assembly its determination to complete the full life-cycle ecosystem of Korea's power industry — spanning generation, transmission and distribution, power trading, facility maintenance, power ICT and workforce training — by bringing the combined headquarters of the five power generation companies to Naju.
On the 22nd, Naju held a "Rally for the Second Round of Public Agency Relocations and the Combined Headquarters of the Five Power Generation Companies to Naju" at the National Assembly building, attended by Mayor Yoon Byung-tae and city officials. Participants called for additional public agencies to be relocated with the Bitgaram Innovation City at the center, and for the combined headquarters of the five power generation companies to be based in Naju.
The rally was organized in line with government discussions on the second round of public agency relocations. Naju made clear its position that relocations should be pursued in a way that strengthens the functions and industrial linkages of the existing innovation city, rather than being allocated simply to spread facilities across regions.
The Bitgaram Innovation City has been a symbol of balanced national development since its creation, jointly pursued by Gwangju and Jeollanam-do. It is currently home to a cluster of energy-related public institutions including Korea Electric Power Corp., the Korea Power Exchange, KEPCO KDN and KEPCO KPS. With the addition of Korea Institute of Energy Technology, or KENTECH, the site has also built an industry-academia-research energy ecosystem.
Naju believes that if additional public agencies with related functions relocate on top of this foundation, the Bitgaram Innovation City's self-sufficiency will be strengthened and the effect on new industries and job creation will grow. The city further envisions those gains spreading beyond Naju across all of Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City.
Participants at the rally chanted slogans such as "Second round of public agency relocations, to Bitgaram Innovation City!" and "Combined headquarters of the five power generation companies, to Naju!" as they united behind the campaign.
Naju also highlighted the case for hosting the combined headquarters. The city said that if the headquarters is established in Naju, connectivity across the entire power industry cycle — generation, transmission and distribution, power trading, facility maintenance and power ICT — could be significantly strengthened.
The city stressed that Naju, where core power-sector institutions are already clustered around Korea Electric Power Corp., is the optimal location to host the combined headquarters. It also expects synergies extending to cooperation among institutions, technological innovation and the attraction of related companies.
"If the first round of public agency relocations was the birth of the Bitgaram Innovation City, the second round should be a new starting point that completes the innovation city and spreads its achievements to the entire region," Mayor Yoon said. "Naju, which has a foundation in power trading, maintenance, ICT and energy workforce training centered on Korea Electric Power Corp., has the optimal conditions to strengthen the functional linkages of Korea's power industry if the combined headquarters of the five power generation companies relocates here."
Naju plans to continue making the case to the government and the National Assembly for the second round of public agency relocations and for hosting the combined headquarters. It will also strengthen cooperation with Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City and other related agencies. Above all, the city intends to expand a citywide signature campaign and participation by institutions and civic groups to broaden public support and build momentum for the bid.