Gangwon Thermal Energy Cluster Zone Expanded to 818,029 Square Metres in Chuncheon

South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has amended the designation of the Gangwon Thermal Energy Convergence Cluster Investment Promotion Zone, enlarging it to about 818,029 square metres in Chuncheon, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. The change was published in Notice No. 2026-554 of the ministry, carried in the Official Gazette (Gwanbo) No. 21340 of 15 October 2026.

The notice was issued under Article 45 of the Regional Development and Support Act and Article 53 of its enforcement decree, with topographic maps published under Article 8 of the Framework Act on Land Use Regulation and Article 7 of its enforcement decree. The zone, formally named the Gangwon Thermal Energy Convergence Cluster Investment Promotion Zone, covers the Dong-myeon districts of Jinae-ri and Janghak-ri.

The area grows from about 815,687 to 818,029 square metres, an increase of 2,342 square metres, and the implementation period is extended from 2020–2028 (nine years) to 2020–2029 (ten years).

Investment and employment figures

• Total project cost: 422.3 billion won — 29.9 billion from the national budget, 12.8 billion from local funds and 379.6 billion from K-water.
• Employment: revised down from 9,617 to 9,540 jobs — 1,775 in construction and 7,765 in operation.
• Economic effects: 237.3 billion won in production inducement and 100.8 billion won in value added.
• Annual investment plan: 2.3 billion won (2020), 2.5 (2021), 44.6 (2022), 74.9 (2023), 68.2 (2024), 33.8 (2025), 62.5 (2026), 57.6 (2027), 43.5 (2028) and 32.4 (2029).

Land use and project scope

The project is the Gangwon Thermal Energy Convergence Cluster creation scheme, jointly implemented by Chuncheon City and the Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) through expropriation or use. It aims to use deep water from the Soyanggang Dam to foster a future water-resource industry and attract advanced IT firms.

Land-use allocations change as follows:

• Residential land: 79,003 → 94,348 m² (single-family housing 12,178 → 18,205; apartment housing 63,873 → 67,471; neighbourhood commercial 2,952 → 8,672).
• Commercial land: 28,370 → 20,812 m².
• Industrial land: 369,481 → 325,179 m², including data centres at 287,238 → 284,949 m².
• Support facilities: 44,935 m² under a new category, including 27,515 m² for data-specialised facilities.
• Urban infrastructure: 338,833 → 332,755 m² (parks and green space 112,825 → 106,929; roads 179,701 → 181,598; parking 4,934 → 5,705; retention ponds 16,153 → 16,507).

Target tenants include eco-friendly data centres, big-data and cloud IT firms, water and energy companies and a smart-farm advanced agriculture complex.

Infrastructure and public inspection

• Access road: 1.2 km widened from two to four lanes.
• Water supply: Soyang Water Purification Plant (133,000 m³/day) and Soyang Reservoir (28,000 m³/day).
• Sewage: treated at the Chuncheon Sewage Treatment Facility (150,000 m³/day).
• Transport links: Gyeongchun Line (ITX) about 5.5 km away, Jungang Expressway Chuncheon IC about 8.5 km, Seoul-Yangyang Expressway Namchuncheon IC about 18 km and National Route 5 Cheonjeon IC about 0.5 km.

Related documents and topographic maps may be inspected for 14 days from the notice date at the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Regional Extinction Response Policy Officer (033-249-3879), the Digital Industry Division (033-249-3085) and the Chuncheon City Smart City Division (033-245-5626), and online at the Land Use Regulation Information System (eum.go.kr).

The amendment extends the project by one year and slightly enlarges the zone, keeping the 422.3 billion won budget unchanged while trimming projected operating jobs by 77. For landowners in Jinae-ri and Janghak-ri, the revised land ledger — public area rising from 815,747 to 883,152 square metres — and the 14-day inspection window set the terms for compensation and planning.

Source: Gwanbo (Official Gazette of the Republic of Korea), No. 21340, 15 October 2026, Notices section (official reference: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Notice No. 2026-554).