The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 11th that it has finalized the selection of 10 local governments for the first-ever 2026 regional specialized development zone consulting support project to foster regional growth hubs.
A regional specialized development zone (specialized zone) is a system that designates certain areas as regulatory special-case regions so that projects tailored to regional characteristics can be pursued. Since its introduction in 2004, it has helped boost regional economic growth. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) added a customized consulting program for specialized zones that have been in operation for a long time.
A total of 17 local governments took part in the call that began at the end of March. An evaluation committee made up of external experts from industry, academia, and research conducted document and in-person reviews. Ten final zones were selected, including non-capital specialized zones facing extinction risks such as population-declining areas and areas of concern.
The 10 final selections are: ▲ Gokseong County, South Jeolla (Seomjingang Train Village Specialized Zone) ▲ Geochang County, South Gyeongsang (Elevator Valley Industry Specialized Zone) ▲ Sancheong County, South Gyeongsang (Oriental Medicine and Medicinal Herbs Industry Specialized Zone) ▲ Sunchang County, North Jeolla (Fermented Sauce Industry Specialized Zone) ▲ Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang (Oriental Medicine and Garlic Industry Specialized Zone) ▲ Seongju County, North Gyeongsang (Korean Melon Industry Specialized Zone) ▲ Geumsan County, South Chungcheong (Ginseng Healthcare Specialized Zone) ▲ Yeongyang County, North Gyeongsang (Red Pepper Industry Specialized Zone) ▲ Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang (Snow Crab Specialized Zone) ▲ Nam District, Busan (UN Peace Culture Specialized Zone).
Within this month, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) plans to form a public-private joint support team with the selected local governments, private-sector experts, regional offices of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME), and then begin on-site, hands-on consultations.
The support team will visit specialized zones to diagnose key growth inhibitors and institutional constraints. It plans to support the establishment of new business models that incorporate creative private-sector ideas and the formulation of plans to foster regionally specialized industries.
In addition, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) plans to recommend outstanding plans as candidates for support under major MSS fiscal programs—such as projects to foster local commercial districts and projects to foster city, county, and district-based industries—as well as competitive funding programs run by other ministries, so they can translate into regional economic growth.
Minister Han Seong-sook of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) said, "This project will serve as a priming pump to inject new private vitality into specialized zones struggling with population decline and industrial stagnation," adding, "We will provide support across the entire cycle so that specialized zones can be reborn as hubs of region-led growth."