Labor ministry launches Chungcheong job project with 4 billion won

The labor ministry and the governments of Daejeon, Sejong, North Chungcheong Province and South Chungcheong Province launched a joint employment project on Thursday aimed at linking industry and talent across the Chungcheong region, with 4 billion won ($2.95 million) committed to the effort.

The money for the Chungcheong Growth Industry Tomorrow Connection Project, as the initiative is called in Korean, is drawn mostly from the central government, which is providing 3.2 billion won ($2.36 million), with the four regional governments contributing 800 million won ($590,101) between them. The project will focus on the bio and mobility sectors.

The launch ceremony, held at the North Chungcheong provincial government office, brought together Vice Employment and Labor Minister Kwon Chang-jun, North Chungcheong Governor Shin Yong-han, Sejong Mayor Cho Sang-ho, South Chungcheong Governor Park Su-hyeon and Daejeon Administrative Vice Mayor Park Yeon-byung.

The project is one of three cross-regional employment programs being pursued this year, alongside the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam region and the Daegu-North Gyeongsang region.

Support measures include joint corporate consortia for company and talent development, shared employment services and job-search assistance across the region, internships and hiring pipelines in advanced bio-health and future mobility, settlement support for workers who change or move jobs within the region, and the establishment of cross-regional employment governance.

"If Daejeon, Sejong, North Chungcheong and South Chungcheong combine their respective strengths based on their geographical conditions, the Chungcheong region can grow into the center of employment in South Korea," Vice Minister Kwon said.

"Through this project, I hope that changes in which people come, jobs connect and regions and companies grow together can be created on the ground," he added.