Gyeonggi and Chungcheongnam Bay Valley Mutual Cooperation...13 Projects to Launch in Full Scale
[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gap-dong] Gyeonggi Province and Chungcheongnam Province are launching 13 projects across four fields—transportation and logistics, carbon neutrality, marine tourism, and job creation—around the Pyeongtaek Lake and Asan Lake areas through 'Bay Valley Mutual Cooperation'.
Gyeonggi Province and Chungcheongnam Province held the 'Bay Valley Mutual Cooperation Joint Report Session' at the Marine Center of Pyeongtaek Port on the 21st, with approximately 30 attendees including Kim Sung-joong, First Vice Governor of Gyeonggi Province, Jeon Hyung-sik, Senior Vice Governor of Chungcheongnam Province, and bureau chiefs.
The announcement today represents project details finalized following joint research and operational consultations since the memorandum of understanding signed between Gyeonggi Province and Chungcheongnam Province on September 29, 2022.
The 13 cooperation projects include △Bay Valley circular rail network construction △Seohae Line-Gyeongbu Expressway connector △GTX-C extension to Gyeonggi-Chungcheongnam △Second West Coast Bridge construction △Pyeongtaek-Dangjin Port hinterland development △Central region hydrogen supply hub establishment △Joint research on clean hydrogen production technology △Future vehicle global advanced industry promotion △Marina tourism hub development △Marine leisure content development and event hosting △Bay Valley tour pass development △Joint marine debris management △Bay Valley startup and entrepreneurship ecosystem activation.
In particular, 'Central Region Hydrogen Supply Hub Establishment' is being promoted to implement carbon neutrality, a key pledge of Gyeonggi Province. A hydrogen production facility capable of producing 15 tons of hydrogen per day will be established in the Poseung-eup area of Pyeongtaek City, and hydrogen cities incorporating urban infrastructure for hydrogen production, transportation, storage, and utilization will be developed respectively in Poseung-eup, Pyeongtaek City and Songsan-myeon, Dangjin City.
The Bay Valley region is recognized as both the largest demand area and optimal supply region for the hydrogen economy, and plans are underway to develop Pyeongtaek and Dangjin cities as the nation's hub for hydrogen production, supply, and transportation centered on hydrogen production facilities and hydrogen transportation complexes.
Additionally, 'Marina tourism hub development and marine leisure content creation' and 'Bay Valley tour pass' tailored to Bay Valley's unique characteristics are expected to provide residents with attractions and entertainment opportunities, stimulate local economic vitalization, and usher in a new era of marine tourism.
In particular, the construction of a circular rail network in the Bay Valley region, connection of the Seohae Line-Gyeongbu Expressway, extension of the GTX-C line, and construction of the Second West Coast Bridge are expected to contribute to balanced development of the West Coast region when linked with Gyeonggi Province's 'Large-Scale SOC Development for Western Gyeonggi' projects announced previously.
Both provinces will establish a task force for systematic implementation of the 13 cooperation projects and will monitor project progress through continuous meetings to develop improvement measures. Through this, both provinces plan to spare no administrative support to ensure successful project implementation.
Kim Sung-joong, First Vice Governor of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "The human and material infrastructure and potential of Gyeonggi and Chungcheongnam form a major axis of the nation, and this will serve as an important foundation for regional balanced development," emphasizing, "Let both provinces cooperate based on mutual trust to create new opportunities and achieve sustainable development."
Jeon Hyung-sik, Senior Vice Governor of Chungcheongnam Province, said, "Asan Bay, bordering the capital region and non-capital regions, is an area that can grow into an advanced industrial hub leading the nation's economy," and added, "For creating livelihoods for the nation's future 50 to 100 years, let us join forces in advancing the Bay Valley construction project."
The Bay Valley region comprises Gyeonggi Province (Hwaseong, Ansan, Pyeongtaek, Siheung, Anseong) and Chungcheongnam Province (Cheonan, Asan, Seosan, Dangjin, Yesan), with a concentrated population of 4.28 million, 320,000 businesses, and 37 universities. The region's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) reaches 250 trillion won.