The four metropolitan and provincial governments of the Chungcheong region – South Chungcheong Province, Sejong Special Autonomous City, Daejeon Metropolitan City, and North Chungcheong Province – are jointly participating in the Ministry of Science and ICT’s (MSIT) public offering for the ‘Regional Hub Information Security Cluster Establishment Project’ to foster specialized information security industries within the region.

The four entities launched a project promotion team, headed by Lee Seung-won, Vice Mayor for Economic Affairs of Sejong City, on April 9th at the Sejong City Hall Annex Building. The inaugural meeting of the team brought together relevant government officials from the four regions, representatives from the Chungnam Technopark, Sejong Technopark, Daejeon Information & Culture Industry Promotion Agency, and North Chungcheong Center for Science & Technology Innovation, as well as advisory committee members comprising professors and experts in information security from universities in the Chungcheong area and industry professionals. The agenda for the meeting included an explanation of the project’s details and plans, a presentation on the Chungcheong region’s proposed direction for the project, and discussions on strategies to secure the bid.

During the meeting, participants shared the core objectives and key components of the Regional Hub Information Security Cluster Establishment Project and engaged in in-depth discussions regarding the project’s direction and the Chungcheong region’s competitive strategies for attracting the initiative.

The primary goal of this national project is to decentralize the information security industry, which is currently heavily concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, thereby enhancing national cybersecurity capabilities to prevent cyberattacks and fostering the growth of regionally specialized information security industries.

By jointly participating in this public offering, the four Chungcheong regions aim to establish a robust information security infrastructure, cultivate a skilled workforce in the sector, provide comprehensive support for related businesses, and identify information security business models that can be integrated with the region’s strategic industries. The ultimate objective is to create a thriving information security industry ecosystem within the Chungcheong area.

Successful acquisition of this national project would entail significant financial support, with the region potentially receiving up to ₩2 billion (approximately $1.5 million USD based on current exchange rates) in national funding annually for a period of up to five years, concluding in 2029.

Securing the project is anticipated to yield substantial benefits for the region, including the creation of new high-quality jobs and the revitalization of related industries, contributing significantly to the local economy and technological advancement.

Following the initial meeting, the four Chungcheong regions will convene a series of working-level meetings to further refine the project details. They also plan to conduct benchmarking analyses of successful clusters in other regions to glean best practices and strengthen their application. The official project proposal is expected to be submitted to the MSIT within April.

A representative of the project promotion team emphasized the Chungcheong region’s strategic advantages, stating, “Geographically, the Chungcheong region is located at the heart of the nation, which offers significant benefits for the dissemination of best practices and the alleviation of the overconcentration in the Seoul metropolitan area. Information security is an indispensable element for the advancement of the region’s core industries. Therefore, we will dedicate our utmost efforts to securing this information security cluster project, leveraging the Chungcheong region’s robust capabilities and inherent strengths to establish it as a central hub for the information security industry.”

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