South Chungcheong pushes ahead with Cheonan national industrial complex

South Chungcheong Province has cleared a major hurdle that could accelerate development of the Cheonan National Industrial Complex by about 18 months.

The breakthrough came after fast-track procedures were applied to the relocation of a livestock research station that currently occupies the planned complex site.

South Chungcheong Governor Park Soo-hyun met with Hampyeong-gun County Mayor Lee Nam-o of South Jeolla Province at the provincial government office Thursday to review the relocation progress and discuss ways to foster mutual cooperation.

Relocating the livestock station — operated by the Livestock Resources Development Division of the Rural Development Administration's National Institute of Animal Science — is a prerequisite for building the Cheonan complex. The division had already commissioned a detailed design study last year for the new site in Hampyeong-gun.

The project stalled, however, after disputes arose with local residents over land compensation, livelihood support and infrastructure development.

In response, Governor Park met with the director of the National Institute of Animal Science in July to press for stronger government support, and both Hampyeong-gun and the Livestock Resources Development Division subsequently accepted residents' demands and worked out a resolution.

With a community agreement in place, the Livestock Resources Development Division submitted its implementation plan approval documents to Hampyeong-gun on Sept. 29, putting the relocation back on track.

Hampyeong-gun and the division will apply fast-track procedures from the implementation plan approval through to completion, moving the groundbreaking from 2028 to next year and the completion date from the second half of 2031 to the first half of 2030.

Starting next year, the province will redraw its development roadmap and flesh out the project plan, advancing follow-up steps in stages — including a preliminary feasibility study, project plan approval, and industrial complex plan formulation and approval.

Alongside this, the province will focus on attracting large corporations and advanced-industry tenants to the complex while continuing to coordinate with relevant agencies on project structure and administrative procedures.

The province plans to review the Hampyeong relocation progress every quarter and, if needed, hold regular working-level consultations with the Livestock Resources Development Division.

At Thursday's meeting, Governor Park said the Cheonan complex would be developed into a landmark representing South Chungcheong Province, given its position as a gateway from the greater Seoul area into the province. "We must push the project forward as quickly as possible and turn it into a land of opportunity that draws businesses and young people," he said.

He added that the shortened relocation timeline "will serve as a turning point for getting the national industrial complex firmly on track at the earliest possible date."

Park also expressed gratitude to Hampyeong-gun, the relevant agencies and local residents for their cooperation, and called for continued joint efforts to resolve outstanding relocation issues and pursue shared development goals.

County Mayor Lee asked the governor to maintain the province's ongoing attention and support to ensure the relocation of the Cheonan livestock station to Hampyeong-gun proceeds without a hitch.

The Cheonan National Industrial Complex is planned for a 4.169-million-square-meter site in Sinbang-ri, Seonghwan-eup, with a total project cost of 1.6 trillion won ($1.19 billion). Target industries include AI, semiconductors, displays, secondary batteries and other advanced future industries.