On the 10th, at Andong City Hall, Kim Jae-won, a candidate for governor of North Gyeongsang Province, met with reporters from the province’s northern region and unveiled his development pledges for northern Gyeongbuk.
At the meeting, Kim announced six major initiatives to develop the northern area, including accelerating construction of the long‑awaited No. 9 North–South Expressway to dramatically improve regional access.
Kim said Bonghwa, Yeongyang and Cheongsong have lagged because of poor transportation access. He pledged to open the region’s transportation arteries, establish new growth hubs, and activate tourism in the Baekdudaegan mountain range to boost local incomes and make Gyeongbuk easier to reach.
He also outlined a strategy to cultivate advanced, specialized industries tailored to each part of the northern region, aiming to revitalize an economy long dependent on traditional industries and transition it toward high‑tech sectors.
“I will develop Andong into South Korea’s bio and vaccine hub,” Kim said. “We will link existing talent and research infrastructure in Andong into a bio‑vaccine cluster and seek designation as a national advanced strategic project special zone to drive growth.”
To achieve that, he said he will establish a research‑focused public medical school to raise regional health care standards, expand clinical infrastructure for bio and vaccine development, and promote a contracted bio program at Kyunguk University to create skilled jobs and attract young professionals.
Kim added that he will make Yeongju the nation’s only city specialized in bearings. He said an advanced bearing national industrial complex is scheduled for completion by the end of next year and that he plans to designate the area a regulatory special zone and complete it as an integrated cluster to attract global companies.
To support this, he said he will establish a nationally certified bearing testing and certification center exclusively in Yeongju, expanding the local role from simple production to testing, certification, R&D and market linkage. He also pledged “zero‑regulation” benefits for bearing startups in Yeongju—permits processed within 30 days and simplified procedures for factory expansion or repurposing—and aims to nurture 100 startups.
He announced plans to build a Digital Knowledge Industry Center and a Youth Startup Innovation Campus in Yecheon, which adjoins the provincial government’s new town.
Kim also pledged to build a province‑led, AI‑powered integrated emergency medical control system to strengthen the weak emergency care network in northern Gyeongbuk.
He promised to ensure the pumped‑storage power plants planned for Yeongyang and Bonghwa proceed without delay and are completed ahead of schedule. Kim said the provincial government will lead efforts to keep construction on track and will identify projects that maximize links with existing tourist resources to make Yeongyang and Bonghwa the premier eco‑friendly destinations in northern Gyeongbuk.
