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Location Report
- Gyeongbuk
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Date
2026.06.15
Overview
South Korea's industrial complexes, which have dri- ven the growth of the Korean economy, are being reborn as “place-based Intellectual Property (IP)”—spaces that go beyond manufacturing to bring people together and inspire creativity. Through joint efforts among relevant ministries, the government plans to designate 10 Culture-Leading Industrial Complexes nationwide by 2027. Gumi, Changwon, and Wanju—the first cities selected in 2025—are pioneering a model of manufacturing-culture convergence, where the hardware of manufacturing meets the software of the creative industries.
Gumi National Industrial Complex: Restoring Industrial Heritage and Enabling Cultural Experience
The Gumi complex has served as a central pillar of Korea's exports for five decades, but aging facilities have made it difficult to attract young skilled professionals. Through this project, efforts will focus on the creative restoration of long-standing idle sites and underused factories within the complex.
- Creating a branded industrial complex from idle sites: The Gumi complex will acquire or redevelop factory sites that hold half a century of export history and turn them into landmarks. A new brand identity, “Gumi Industry Playground (GIP),” will be introduced, and pedestrian paths and streetscapes connecting the Nakdong River and the complex will be improved to create open spaces that residents and young people will enjoy visiting.
- Culture Delivered to Every Corner and industrial storytelling: In connection with the Culture Day program run by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), performances and exhibitions tailored to the complex will be held regularly, and they will be linked with the region's signature festivals to tell the story of the industrial complex. In addition, content drawing on Gumi's heritage in the electronics industry will be developed, transforming the complex into a “cultural production base” that brings cultural vitality to workers' daily lives.
Changwon National Industrial Complex: An Artistic Reimagining of Machinery and Defense Assets
Changwon, a hub of Korea's machinery and defense industries, is being transformed into an industrial complex infused with culture under the slogan “Changwon, a Meta-Cultural Industrial Complex Embracing Machinery and Defense.”- K-Defense Plaza and the meta-cultural industrial complex: The Changwon complex will create K-Defense Plaza, a space that visualizes the region's identity in the defense industry. Through art installations and landmarks that reflect the precision of defense technology, the machinery sector’s image will be recast as a polished brand for a strategic national industry. This space will serve as a hub for tourism, international events, and other forms of cultural industry, functioning as a showcase that introduces the complex to a broader audience.
- Developing specialized content based on the industrial ecosystem: The dynamism of precision machining processes will be turned into an asset through digital imagery and media art. In addition, in connection with the Culture Day program, specialized cultural programs that workers can take part in will be held regularly throughout the factory district, with the aim of narrowing gaps in cultural access within the complex.
Wanju General Industrial Complex: Future Mobility and an Experience-Based Cultural Hub
The Wanju complex has followed an unusual path, evolving from an agriculture-centered city into an industrial complex specialized in automotive parts and hydrogen. This project links the future-oriented theme of the hydrogen industry with culture.
What sets this Culture-Leading Industrial Complex initiative apart from earlier redevelopment projects is that three ministries designed it jointly—the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT).
- A multipurpose cultural space symbolizing the hydrogen economy: In connection with core local industrial infrastructure such as hydrogen commercial vehicle plants, a landmark where visitors can experience hydrogen energy firsthand will be developed. Closed schools and aging community welfare facilities near the complex will be remodeled into youth culture centers and open craft studios, establishing cultural hubs that engage with the local community.
- Immersive experiences through the XR Smart Bus: Through the XR (eXtended Reality) Smart Bus project, which combines the future mobility industry with advanced technology, a one-of-a-kind content experience will be offered. This mobile experience platform will travel through key sites within the complex, bringing Wanju's industrial vision to life and presenting the region's standout assets through cutting-edge digital content.
What sets this Culture-Leading Industrial Complex initiative apart from earlier redevelopment projects is that three ministries designed it jointly—the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT).
- MOTIR leads the modernization of physical infrastructure, including the construction of youth culture centers and the renewal of aging factories, and focuses on tangible improvements to the working environment.
- MCST plays the software role of bringing cultural life into the complex by operating the Culture Day program and supporting balanced regional development in the creative industries.
- MOLIT, through its aging industrial complex regeneration projects, redevelops roads, parking, and other foundational infrastructure to improve the accessibility and land-use efficiency of the complex.
Through this joint multi-ministry initiative, Korea will move beyond the past image of efficiency-focused “gray industrial complexes” and brand each region's distinctive history and core industries as cultural content.
Selected as the first pilot models in 2025, the Gumi, Changwon, and Wanju complexes will set the standard for next-generation industrial complexes by combining the solid hardware of manufacturing with the flexible software of the creative industries.
Selected as the first pilot models in 2025, the Gumi, Changwon, and Wanju complexes will set the standard for next-generation industrial complexes by combining the solid hardware of manufacturing with the flexible software of the creative industries.
* Source: Korea Industrial Complex Corporation
* Reference: Korea Industrial Complex Corporation; Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources press release, "Gumi, Changwon, and Wanju Industrial Complexes Run Again Through Culture" (May 28, 2025)