■ Background and Problem Statement

● The acceleration of administrative integration—highlighted by the passage of the Gwangju–Jeonnam Integrated Metropolitan City Act in March 2026 and ongoing integration of Chungnam–Daejeon and Daegu–Gyeongbuk—has reshaped the regional competitive landscape. Against this backdrop, Jeonbuk State faces a weakening of its distinctive status as a special self-governing province and an increasing risk of strategic isolation, driven by the siphoning effect of neighboring mega-regions and the resulting outflow of population and industrial capital. Under these structural constraints, reliance on economies of scale alone is unlikely to provide an effective basis for the three special self-governing provinces to compete with the five mega-regions.

● Jeonbuk State has built considerable policy momentum through a series of strategic initiatives, including: Hyundai Motor Group’s KRW 9 trillion investment in Saemangeum, exemption from the preliminary feasibility study for a KRW 1 trillion physical AI initiative, the ongoing rollout of key Saemangeum infrastructure (e.g., a new port, international airport, and access railway), the establishment of the first hemp industry cluster under the Saemangeum Global Mega Sandbox, its selection as a candidate city for the 2036 Summer Olympics, and the integration of the Jeonju area into a metropolitan area through revisions to the Metropolitan Transportation Act. These developments indicate that Jeonbuk’s primary constraint lies not in a shortage of assets but in the absence of an institutional framework capable of converting these assets into strategic outcomes.

● This study advances a 3S (Seed, Straight, Spread) strategy grounded in economies of speed as a differentiated response to the scale-driven development model of the five mega-regions. It calls for a paradigm shift in the third revision of the Jeonbuk Special Act—from an underdevelopment-oriented support framework to a national solution approach—positioning Jeonbuk as a provider of national solutions for key policy agendas and structural challenges.

■ 3S Strategy Framework Grounded in Economies of Speed

● The “economies of speed” framework highlights decision-making and execution speed as key sources of competitive advantage, offering a strategic alternative to economies of scale. Jeonbuk State is structurally well-positioned to pioneer policy experimentation due to three factors: a governor-centered unified command structure, institutional flexibility under its special self-governing province status, and the capacity to manage the costs of failure. Accordingly, the 3S strategy positions Jeonbuk as a leading hub where firms can rapidly and decisively undertake initiatives that would otherwise be difficult to implement, even with sufficient capital. The strategy’s key components are outlined below.

a​​S1. SEED (Proactive Seeding of Future Industries):

This component establishes Jeonbuk as a leading hub for next-generation industries by advancing the institutional foundations not yet present elsewhere. It replaces a conventional reactive model—where regulation follows technology—with a proactive approach in which institutional frameworks are designed in advance to attract and anchor technological innovation. Representative examples include the Agro-Bio AX Zone, the medical food sector, the Saemangeum AI-RE100 Certified City, Negative Free Zones, and a Quantum Industry Convergence Testbed.

a​​S2. STRAIGHT (Fast-Track Administration):

This component focuses on eliminating administrative bottlenecks through an agile governance model that delegates pre-approval, consultation, and licensing authority from central government ministries to the provincial governor. It aims to accelerate firms’ market entry by expanding regulatory delegation in tourism and cultural zones and licensing in advanced industries while introducing new immigration visa categories.

a​​S3. SPREAD (Rapid Testing and Scaling):

This component positions Jeonbuk as a testbed for early-stage validation and the scaling of successful models into national standards. Key instruments include the authority to designate and certify intelligent agricultural machinery, rural demonstration zones, renewable energy testbeds, and expanded local talent recruitment in innovation cities. These instruments collectively establish Jeonbuk as a rule-maker shaping new policy benchmarks, with the 3S framework operating as a virtuous, self-reinforcing cycle rather than a linear process. 

● DOWNLOAD REPORT (PDF, Korean)​