Editor’s Note
Jinju Mayor Cho Gyu-il has positioned the aerospace sector as the cornerstone for the region’s next century of economic development, citing major local investments as key catalysts for future growth.
Cho Gyu-il, Mayor of Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, expressed confidence that fostering the aerospace industry will be the strategic industry responsible for the region’s next 100 years and the growth engine for the local economy.
Mayor Cho analyzed that the establishment of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Rotary-Wing Flight Center and the Advanced Air Vehicle (AAV) Demonstration Center within the region will lead to corporate attraction and job creation, thereby forming a sustainable industrial ecosystem.
In a New Year’s interview with News1, Mayor Cho stated:
Following is a Q&A with Mayor Cho.
▶Rotary-wing aircraft are aircraft that take off and land vertically using the power of rotating wings and rotors (propellers). They generally refer to helicopters, drones, and future aircraft. The KAI Rotary-Wing Flight Center was promoted based on the city’s will to leap forward as a global aerospace industry mecca by attracting leading companies in the aerospace field and KAI’s need to secure a dedicated flight center for rotary-wing aircraft.
▶It held a completion ceremony in Gasan Industrial Complex on December 16 last year and is now in full operation. KAI invested 47.5 billion won to build dedicated facilities for rotary-wing aircraft, and currently, 120 employees are working there regularly. According to the contract, the land KAI is leasing from the city will be purchased by KAI after 10 years. Estimating the amount, it can be seen as attracting over 100 billion won in investment. This scale is the largest private investment attraction the city has achieved so far. It also holds great significance as the realization of attracting a large corporation, a long-cherished wish. Synergy is expected as the AAV Demonstration Center construction project is also in its final stages alongside the flight center’s operation.
▶The AAV Demonstration Center is a test center that can verify the operational system from AAV research and demonstration testing to flight testing. It is being built on an 11,000㎡ site with a total project cost of 29.9 billion won. Major facilities include a distributed propulsion test room, hybrid electric propulsion test room, control integration test room, hangar, and apron. Construction began in December last year and is scheduled to be operational next year.
▶They are expected to play a significant role in the development of the future aviation industry in Gyeongsangnam-do, including Jinju. The two centers have an integrated demonstration system that can lead from component and airframe demonstration results to actual flight. If a series of processes—aircraft test evaluation, demonstration testing, flight testing, and aircraft production—are conducted in one place, Jinju will become ‘Korea’s first’ future aircraft production base.
▶The plan is to attract AAV component and airframe manufacturing companies and related public institutions, promote the creation of quality jobs, and revitalize the local economy. With the operation of the demonstration center, if AAV component and airframe manufacturing companies, public institutions, and certification support agencies are concentrated in the Gasan Industrial Complex area, future industrial momentum will be secured. For young people, quality jobs will be created, and it is expected to transform into a city where youth stay and a region brimming with youthful vitality.
▶In March this year, the ultra-small artificial satellite ‘Jinju Saet-1B’ was successfully launched. Taking this as an opportunity, the city is leaping forward as an ‘aerospace leading city’ that completes the full-cycle ecosystem of Korea’s space industry, from satellite production to data processing and utilization. In 2027, for the launch of the second satellite ‘Jinju Saet-2’, the city will devote the year 2026 to satellite development.
When the flight center and demonstration center are operational, the satellite is launched in 2027, and the space environment test facility construction is completed in 2028, ‘development, testing, and utilization’ will be possible in one place with world-class test facilities, completing the entire cycle of the aerospace industry.
In May this year, Jinju was also designated as a ‘Next-Generation Advanced Satellite Global Innovation Special Zone’, and it is expected to play a central role in satellite operation and data reception through the installation of a satellite data communication ground station.
▶In a word, 2025 can be evaluated as a year of leaping from a ‘livable city’ to a ‘future industry hub’. In particular, expectations for the aerospace industry among future industries are becoming a reality. The city will take off as an aerospace leading city that completes the aerospace industry ecosystem, from satellites to future aircraft.