"We successfully hosted the 10th Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do during October 28 to November 4. Related to this, our province decided to become an environmental capital, suggesting a new growth paradigm for the country," said Kim Tae-ho, governor of Gyeongsangnam-do province.
In an interview with the Korea IT Times, Kim said: "All policies and industrial structures in Gyeongsangnam-do will be focused on green growth in the future. As a concrete strategy to achieve this goal, the province will invest a total of 2 trillion won for construction of a green growth environmental base by 2020, including the establishment of a climate change master plan and a climate change center, which will serve as a think tank."
Kim also said that the province will run a tree-planting campaign and a drive to restore streams in a bid to expand environmentally-friendly cityspace and sources to absorb carbon.
At the same time, the province will spend 600 billion won to actively foster the green energy new growth engine industry by building a hydrogen fuel cell power plant and a tidal power plant on the coast linking Sacheon and Namhae, according to Kim.
"By doing so, we plan to create 50,000 new jobs by 2015 and enhance the green energy supply ratio to 15 percent by 2030," said Kim.
"One step further, we will pour a total of 2.8 trillion won, including 200 billion won for the post-Ramsar project, to attract the East Asia Ramsar Regional Center and State Wetland Center. By making the best use of our knowledge accumulated through the hosting of the 2008 Ramsar Convention, we plan to attract the UN agreement to prevent desertification from being held in 2011," he said.
Ripple Effects of Ramsar Convention
"Gyeongsangnam-do hosted the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands successfully, suggesting future visions of the preservation of global wetlands and the Ramsar agreement," said the local administration chief. "The environment is everyone's business, and that's why the Ramsar Convention for the wise use of wetlands is important," he emphasized.
Kim stressed that the convention's success should continue and that the post-Ramsar era is even more important for the big picture. The province, alongside the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, decided to restore roughly 2,314,060 square meters of agricultural land next to the Upo Wetlands. He plans to establish an East Asia Ramsar Regional Center and State Wetland Center there.
"These two institutions will show the world that the province is set to carry on with the Ramsar spirit. It will also encourage children to stay aware of environmental issues," he said. "That's a wise use of wetlands."
He also disclosed his vision of the region by establishing environmentally friendly facilities, reforesting, encouraging public transportation and establishing networks within civic society.
Stronghold of Robotics and Aerospace
While taking office as the head of the local government, Kim emphasized that the southern coastal area could create the brightest future for Korea, because the coast possesses unlimited possibility for development.
"By 2020, residential income of our province will reach more than $40,000, entering the ranks of Northeast Asia's top seven economic blocs. I'm confident that Gyeongsangnam-do will become a new central axis of the Korean Peninsula, keeping pace with the global era," said the governor.
To achieve this era for the southern coast, the province is actively pushing ahead with two core projects - the Robot Land creation project and the aviation cluster creation project.
The volume of the robotics market is expected to snowball to 100 trillion won in Korea and $1.04 trillion in the world by 2020, exceeding the automobile and semiconductor markets.
At present, Gyeongsangnam-do is well equipped with the robotics industry's infrastructure, accounting for 40 percent of the total robotics production in Korea. About 20,000 employees work for 708 robotics-related companies and 900-odd researchers are working for 64 robotics-related research centers.
"If Masan is designated as the final place for Robot Land, the province will enact regulations to support the Robot Land project. After passing through such procedures as land purchases for Robot Land, mapping out basic design and creation of the base, it will open Robot Land in 2014," he explained.
Along with this, Korea Train Express (KTX) will extend its train operation to Masan in 2009 and the Lee Soon-sin Bridge linking Masan and Geoje will be built in 2014, playing a literal bridging role in advancing the era of the southern coast, Kim said.
Gyeongsangnam-do is regarded as the Mecca of the nation's aerospace industry as it has 82.5 percent of the total production, 68.3 percent of the total aviation companies and 68.9 percent of the total workers.
"To actively foster the aviation industry with high value added as a future-oriented new growth engine, our province is creating an aerospace special zone on 1.32 million square meters of land now," Kim said, adding that it already mapped out a master plan in April to create the special zone.
However, Korea's aviation industry still falls behind those of such advanced countries as the US, Britain and France in terms of infrastructure and technology power.
"Accordingly, it is urgent to expand aviation-specialized industrial real estate, build complex runways, and attract state-run aviation research centers in order to help the nation's aviation industry take a leap toward global- level industry," he said.
Strategy to Become One of Northeast Asia's Top 7 Economic Blocs
Gyeongsangnam-do proposed a special law for development of its eastern, western and southern coasts to foster the province as one of the Northeast Asia's top seven economic blocs.
"Under the motion, we are moving to map out a comprehensive plan and designate a development area in 2009. The project will focus on development of the seven fields - high-tech industry, culture & tourism, port & logistics, infrastructure, agricultural & fisheries, marketing and environment," he said.
"Among the concrete projects to be pushed are the creation of Robot Land, creation of special real estate for the aerospace industry, creation of clusters for the machinery & shipbuilding industry, propulsion of the Yi Soon-shin project, fostering of the yacht industry, ocean cruise operations on the southern coast, and the construction of an ocean tourism belt," Kim explained.
Along with this, he said they will faithfully prepare for such basic infrastructure projects on the southern coast as a new airport in Southeast Asia, an express railway, coastal roads linking major islands, and establishment of an ocean-going KTX.
Introduction of KIMEX 2008
Korea International Machinery Expo & Industry Trade Show (KIMEX), the nation's top machinery exhibition, was held at Changwon Convention Center for four days from Nov. 19.
About 30,000 domestic and foreign buyers visited the exhibition and concluded $58 million worth of contracts with 184 exhibitors, including 76 foreign companies, for 287 cases.
"Encouraged by the successful hosting of KIMEX 2008, Gyeongsangnam-do plans to hold more industrial shows, including machine tools, transportation equipment, auto precision equipment, robotics, and welding in the future as a means of accelerating regional economic development," said Kim.
Governor Kim received the CEO Special Award in the 2008 Brand Grand Prize organized by Hankyung and the Korea Customers' Forum last September in recognition of his great contribution to the development of the province.
