Min Hyeong-bae says he will meet Muan county chief to resolve national industrial complex dispute

Min Hyeong-bae, mayor of the South Jeolla-Gwangju integrated special city, said Wednesday that the special city has agreed to guarantee pre-sales for roughly half — about 1.65 million square meters — of the national industrial complex that Muan-gun has demanded as a condition for accepting the relocation of Gwangju's military airport.

Muan-gun has called for the designation of a 3.3 million-square-meter national industrial complex near Muan International Airport. Under the plan, the special city will guarantee and support pre-sales for a 1.65 million-square-meter portion of that complex.

The integrated city also plans to attract tenant companies and solicit investment to help fill the Muan national industrial complex.

Min made the announcement after President Lee Jae Myung questioned him about the airport relocation at Tuesday's Cabinet meeting. "Muan-gun has three preconditions," Min said. "Two have been resolved. The remaining issue is a request to develop a national industrial complex."

He added, "I will need to meet with the Muan county chief again to discuss it, but we are working it out in broad terms."

Earlier at the meeting, President Lee asked Min about the background of the project, noting that Muan-gun had twice boycotted the site-selection committee for the military airport relocation.

Lee also rebuked the county, saying, "There are things that were agreed upon regarding the military airport relocation — why not just follow through on the agreement?" He added, "When a national policy benefits the region, they should cooperate. What does it mean to say, 'If you don't do this for me, I won't cooperate'?"

Muan-gun had boycotted the site-selection committee twice, demanding that three preconditions be met first: the prior relocation of Gwangju's civilian airport, 1 trillion won ($700 million) in government support, and the designation of a national industrial complex.

Of the three conditions, the prior relocation of the civilian airport and the 1 trillion won support package have seen considerable progress, with the government and the special city broadly aligned on both. The national industrial complex designation, however, has yet to advance.

Muan-gun has asked the government to designate a 3.3 million-square-meter site near Muan International Airport for a national industrial complex specializing in distributed energy based on the RE100 initiative.

Min's guarantee offer is a move to bring Muan-gun back to the table. Whether the county will respond and rejoin the military airport relocation process remains to be seen.