(SEJONG=NEWSIS) The government has selected six more locations to build urban high-tech industrial complexes, along with an existing business support complex in Incheon, education and culture complex in Daegu and a research and development (R&D) complex in Gwangju.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) announced January 18 that it has selected six regions with excellent locational advantages and strong demand in high-tech industries from a local government competition: Daejeon, Ulsan, Namyangju, Gyeongsan, Suncheon and Jeju.

The urban high-tech industrial complexes will be established and tailored to regional industries where high-tech industries, including green cars, renewable energy, the knowledge-based industry and cultural contents, will be integrated with relevant service industries.

The regions will benefit from all kinds of incentives, including the increase in use districts and floor area ratio, decrease of green area ratio, relocated R&D facilities and deduction of acquisition and property taxes.

To promote regional balanced development, the government will provide incentives to ensure that the high-tech and service companies that are relocated from the metropolitan areas will have priority in receiving industrial land.

The six urban high-tech industrial complexes will be divided into three types: creative economy-based, industrial and academic cluster and new growth industry.

The urban high-tech industrial complex in Daejeon will attract high-tech companies, including software and semiconductor companies. By cooperating with a regional creative economy innovation center, it will concentrate on creative economy projects that can maximize the R&D outcome of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Chungnam National University and the Daedeok Research Complex.

The urban high-tech industrial complex in Jeju will focus on IT, including system and software development, with the relocated game companies. Jeju will build a venture support center to support start-ups, designate the area as an investment promotion zone and offer tax incentives.

The urban high-tech industrial complex in Gyeongsan will make the best use of IT and LED convergence to build the area into a high-tech and R&D-integrated innovation base by working with regional universities and Gyeongbuk Technopark.

The urban high-tech industrial complex in Suncheon will be developed as a research and business support complex by attracting public and private research institutions and high-tech companies. It will also promote the MICE industry by taking advantage of the surrounding environment, including the Suncheonman Bay Ecological Park.

The urban high-tech industrial complex in Namyangju will concentrate on renewable energy and smart grid by cooperating with anchor firms and universities.

The urban high-tech industrial complex in Ulsan will become a vehicle- and energy-related high-tech zone by working with Hyundai Motor Company and the vehicle production belt. "The six urban high-tech industrial complexes will receive investment of more than KRW 3 trillion and create about 20,000 new jobs. Each complex will become the creative base for each region that can commercialize ideas and technologies through innovative resources, including creative economy innovation centers, universities and research institutions," said a MOLIT official.

ssjun@newsis.com