The Jeonnam-Gwangju Free Economic Zone Authority (Jeonnam-Gwangju FEZ), which has demonstrated a model of strategic investment attraction, field-centered regulatory innovation, and efficient fiscal and organizational management, has firmly established itself as a hub agency leading global innovation-driven growth.
According to the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City on the 13th, Jeonnam-Gwangju FEZ earned the top 'S grade' for the second consecutive year in the "2025 Nationwide Free Economic Zone Performance Evaluation" hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, following last year.
Each year, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy comprehensively evaluates the nation's free economic zones across three categories—management, business performance, and future ecosystem building—to select outstanding agencies. The result is seen as reaffirming the standing of Jeonnam-Gwangju FEZ.
Jeonnam-Gwangju FEZ established a vision of becoming an "artificial intelligence (AI)-based convergence new industry hub," in line with the government's national agenda and Gwangju City's five new industry directions. Based on this, it is credited with successfully leading the clustering of related industries by securing an early lead in the region's core sectors of AI, future mobility, and energy, actively attracting leading domestic and international companies (anchor firms), and substantially upgrading the regional supply chain and industrial infrastructure.
Its systematic project management and budget operation capabilities also stood out. It procured development project costs in a timely manner and raised the execution rate of major state funds, including the "Gwangju AI Convergence District Knowledge Industry Center Construction."
Its performance was also notable in terms of organizational culture innovation. It improved standards for recruiting outstanding talent and established a performance-based differentiated compensation system, boosting the organization's competitiveness.
Field-focused administration to resolve corporate difficulties also played a significant role. By proactively identifying and resolving on-site difficulties through meetings with resident companies, site visits, and fact-finding surveys, it significantly raised the management satisfaction of resident companies. Its proactive response to regional issues also received positive evaluation.
Sun Seok-gi, head of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Free Economic Zone Authority, said, "Achieving the S grade for two consecutive years is the result of all employees working together on the ground to advance the region's new industries and resolve corporate difficulties." He added, "We will produce tangible investment attraction results by concretizing district-specific strategies into phased implementation roadmaps."
