▲ Minister of SMEs and Startups Han Seong-sook presides over the 25th Regulation-Free Special Zone Regulatory Special Cases Deliberation Committee held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 4th.
Seven regions across the Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces have been designated as new Regulation-Free Special Zones for sectors including bio and mobility.
The Office for Government Policy Coordination and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced today (June 29) that they held the 18th Regulation-Free Special Zone Committee via written review and designated seven new Regulation-Free Special Zones and Global Innovation Regulation-Free Special Zones.
A Regulation-Free Special Zone is a regional regulatory sandbox that provides special exemptions and temporary permits for innovative projects and strategic industries that are difficult to pursue due to various regulations.
In this meeting, Gyeongnam was designated as a hybrid hydrogen energy zone, Gyeongbuk as an industrial hemp zone, Ulsan as a recycled carbon fuel zone, and Jeonbuk as a next-generation veterinary medicine zone.
In Haman, Changwon, and Jinju, demonstrations will be conducted on bidirectional hydrogen energy generation, which converts water into hydrogen and hydrogen back into electricity.
By granting special exemptions for the manufacturing and inspection of hydrogen products, the government expects to lay the foundation for the commercialization of next-generation hydrogen energy systems.
In Andong, the scope of industrial cultivation and use of hemp will be expanded to include anti-inflammatory and sedative components, while in Ulsan, demonstrations for producing recycled carbon fuel through the pyrolysis of waste plastic will be pursued.
In Iksan and Jeongeup, the government will support the shortening of new drug development and approval periods by conducting clinical trials for advanced companion animal drugs, and will also carry out demonstrations for autogenous vaccines against highly mutated pathogens.
This will enable clinical trials and the application of autogenous vaccines for new types of veterinary drugs.
In addition, Global Innovation Regulation-Free Special Zones were designated for renewable battery swapping systems for small special-purpose vehicles (Jeonnam), demand-specialized modular low-speed vehicles (Gyeongbuk), and K-next-generation electric propulsion ships (Gyeongbuk).
Accordingly, Yeonggwang will pursue demonstrations for the development of small electric agricultural machinery and electric two-wheeled vehicles using a battery-swapping method charged with renewable energy.
In Chilgok, the development of low-speed electric vehicles and demonstrations of their operation on public roads will be pursued, while in Pohang, demonstrations will be conducted to convert small diesel-powered ships into electric-powered ones, with plans to enter overseas markets.
Son Dong-kyun, Director of the Regulatory Coordination Office at the Office for Government Policy Coordination, stated, "For projects whose safety and effectiveness are confirmed through demonstrations, we will support relevant ministries to promptly complete the revision of laws and regulations."
(Photo: Provided by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Yonhap News)
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