문 대통령 "제조업 강국 저력을 보여줄 수 있어",... 핵심소재 산업 육성으로 극일 의지 재천명<br /><br />President Moon Jae-in says the nation should lessen its dependence of core materials from certain countries,... calling on the nation to ramp up its efforts to localize the supply of high-tech materials- amid the ongoing trade row with Japan.<br />And he took a trip to a carbon fiber production line in Jeollabuk-do Province,... one of the key materials in making hydrogen energy technology crucial in the era of Fourth Industrial Revolution.<br />Shin Se-min reports.<br />President Moon Jae-in said the country needs to depend less on "specific nations" when it comes to core materials, adding that this is the way to become an "unshakable" economic powerhouse.<br />"In order to become a responsible economic powerhouse, we should lessen our dependence on core materials from certain countries. It all starts now. We can demonstrate the strength of South Korea as a manufacturing powerhouse."<br />While attending an event orchestrated by Hyosung Advanced Materials, the president promised to nurture the nation's carbon fiber industry, in light of Hyosung Group's announcement that it will invest a total of 1-trillion won, or over 827-million dollars in its production line of carbon fiber plant by the year 2028.<br />Hyosung says the expansion of the production line in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do Province, will place it as the world's number-3 carbon fiber producer.<br />And the group's carbon fiber business plans to churn out 24-thousand tons of carbon fiber every year at 10 production lines starting 2028.<br />This material in particular,... with one-fourth the weight of steel, but 10 times stronger,... is a key element for the hydrogen energy market which in turn feeds the automobile, aerospace and defense industries.<br />Carbon fiber is also one of the items potentially subject to Japan's tighter export controls against South Korea.<br />The conglomerate, being the first home-grown company to develop carbon fibers in 2011, helped make South Korea the fourth country to cultivate such technology after Japan, the U.S. and Germany.<br />However much of the nation's auto industry has been relying on Japan-made carbon fiber for production of fuel storage tanks.<br />The president's visit to Hyosung plant on Tuesday is seen as part of his determined drive to up the nation's competitiveness in the high-tech materials industry amid an downgrading trade relations with Japan.<br />Moon, urging local companies to join in on fostering homegrown technologies,...promised to support with investments and review possibilities of imbuing preliminary assessment for R&D firms in need of self-reliance.<br />Shin Se-min, Arirang News.<br />
