Designated in 1987 and 1989, respectively, Gunsan National Industrial Complexes 1 and 2 pioneered the development of the west coast as the country sought balanced national development. They were established to supply new industrial sites and expand national territory through coastal reclamation. Spanning a vast area of 21,440,000㎡, the complexes were home to industrial giants such as Daewoo Motor (now GM Korea), Doosan Infracore (now HD Hyundai Infracore), and Hyundai Heavy Industries, and developed into a hub for the automotive, machinery, and shipbuilding industries.

Gunsan National Industrial Complexes 1 and 2 have access to various transportation networks, including railways and ports. The Gunsan Port located within the complexes serves as the only trading port in Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province and is adjacent to the newly-developed Saemangeum New Port, making it an ideal location for maritime trade with China. As a result, the complexes serve as a key industrial hub accounting for approximately 58% of production and employment in Gunsan and approximately 14% of production and employment in the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province. They rank first in employment, second in export volume, and third in production volume in Jeonbok, contributing significantly to the regional economy.

The shutdown of Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2017 and the subsequent closure of GM Korea's factory the following year pushed the complexes into a crisis as they suffered a significant decline in production, exports, and employment. As a result, Gunsan was designated as the country’s first Special Zone for Industrial Crisis Response in 2018. However, perseverance eventually paid off. Gunsan National Industrial Complexes 1 and 2 are overcoming the crisis by patiently seeking a new industrial transformation. In 2022, the Gunsan shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries resumed operations and is seeing an increase in production. In 2023, the Saemangeum National Industrial Complex was designated as a complex specializing in secondary batteries, driving increased investment from battery makers. As the automobile industry diversified businesses, transformed into eco-friendly mobility and increased investment in resource recycling industries, the production value of Gunsan National Industrial Complexes 1 and 2 reached KRW 8.3787 trillion as of Q4 2024, recovering to pre-crisis levels.

Considering that industrial complexes account for 48.6% of the country's total energy consumption and 42.5% of greenhouse gas emissions, there is an urgent need to transform them into eco-friendly manufacturing plants. Gunsan National Industrial Complexes 1 and 2 installed the country’s largest-scale floating solar power generation facilities and sixteen wind turbines to lead the supply of eco-friendly energy. Since being designated as a Smart Green Industrial Complex in 2021, they have been actively reducing energy consumption and expanding the use of eco-friendly energy.

As the substation connection capacity of the Jeonbuk region is saturated, it is difficult to increase the region’s power generation capacity through KEPCO's transmission and distribution network. To solve the problem, the complexes, for the first time among Smart Green Industrial Complexes, added solar power generation facilities with a capacity of 2MW based on direct on-site power purchase agreements (PPAs). Additionally, the complexes introduced Factory Energy Management System (FEMS) to monitor fifty companies operating in the complexes in an effort to reduce energy consumption through monitoring and data analysis, thereby enhancing energy efficiency. As a result, twenty companies participating in the system achieved an energy savings rate of 7.2% in 2023.

Moreover, in 2025, the complexes plan to focus on expanding eco-friendly energy infrastructure and improving worker convenience by building Mega Station, an eco-friendly cultural complex that utilizes solar energy. Mega Station will combine industries, environment, and culture by offering EV charging stations, rest areas and media art production and exhibition spaces.

Gunsan National Industrial Complexes 1 and 2 are aging facilities that have been in operation for over twenty years, with outdated production facilities and inadequate infrastructure for cultural, welfare, residential, and convenience services. Thus, they failed to attract young workers, and the closure of Hyundai Heavy Industries and GM's Gunsan plants in 2017 resulted in an increase in the number of idle or closed factories and caused various issues.

The Jeonbuk Regional Headquarters of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation purchased these closed factories and renovated them by focusing on functional improvement and exterior renovation, and the area was reborn as Refactory Gunsan.

The average floor area of existing companies in Gunsan National Industrial Complexes 1 and 2 was as big as 5,096㎡, making it difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups to even consider relocating. To address the issue, the sites in Refactory Gunsan were separated into smaller spaces and leased to SMEs and startups at 70% of the nearby market rate, resulting in 100% occupancy of all 19 units. Additionally, the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation, having noticed that improved quality of life for workers directly impacts work efficiency, utilized shared areas to create cultural spaces such as meeting rooms, cafeterias, and fitness centers to make them more convenient for users.

Furthermore, the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation constructed the Gunsan Industrial Complex Cultural Center in collaboration with Gunsan City and cultural institutions to provide a rich array of experiences including cultural performances, programs, and learning opportunities for workers and their families to enjoy.

The leap toward a sustainable future, the determination to provide a better environment for operating companies and workers, and the belief that industrial complexes must break away from the image of colorless manufacturing plants: these values are prioritized in Gunsan National Industrial Complexes 1 and 2 and serving as the driving force that enable them to rise further.