Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT, Minister Hong Jee-sun) have substantially upgraded their preliminary assessment service for factory permits, which they have jointly operated since March 2025. Individuals and businesses planning to establish a factory can now conduct preliminary assessments of potential sites and permitting requirements, including applicable regulations, more easily and quickly.

The service searches and analyzes applicable laws and regulations to assess whether a factory can be established at a candidate site. It also uses 3D geospatial data that replicates actual terrain to simulate building layouts, earthwork volumes, slopes, and allowable building area (building coverage and floor area ratios), helping users identify the best site in advance. The ministries developed the service by linking MOTIR’s online support system for factory establishment (Factory-On) with MOLIT’s Digital Twin National Land platforms (V-World, K-GeoP) and launched it in March 2025.

The main upgrades, which make it easier and faster for individuals and businesses to identify optimal factory sites suited to their industry and the characteristics of each region, are as follows:

1. Identifying optimal sites: From basic assessments to site recommendations tailored to each factory

Even without specialist knowledge of how to set up a factory, users can receive automatic recommendations for optimal sites based on an analysis of site attractiveness, including industrial vitality and population dynamics. Users can now specify search criteria for sites suited to the type of factory they plan to establish, such as location, area, land category, and officially assessed land price, and receive recommendations down to specific site addresses in a single search.

2. Smartphone access: Assess sites anytime, anywhere

Until now, users could access the preliminary assessment service only on PCs in offices or other indoor settings. The latest upgrade has also introduced a smartphone service, allowing users to conduct preliminary assessments (including regulatory checks) during site surveys.

Further details of the service will be available at the 2026 K-Geo Festa, held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, from November 4 to 6, 2026.

At the event, the two ministries plan to run an interactive booth where visitors can try out the preliminary assessment service, including selecting factory sites that meet their requirements and running simulations to analyze sites for permitting. They will also provide consulting and training for businesspeople and professionals in related industries, guiding them through a one-stop process: receiving factory site recommendations, analyzing and assessing sites for permits in a 3D environment, and submitting permit applications online.

“The preliminary assessment service for factory permits is a leading example of innovation that applies digital twins and geospatial information to everyday life, making public administrative services more useful and convenient,” said Lee Dae-seop, Director General for Spatial Information Policy at MOLIT, adding that the ministry plans to expand the service to other types of permits.

“The upgrades have made it easier and more convenient for individuals and businesses to use the service, from finding factory sites to checking permitting requirements,” said Lee Jae-seok, Director General for Regional Economic Policy at MOTIR. “We will continue working with MOLIT and local governments to develop the system so that anyone, anywhere in the country, can receive one-stop support from factory site selection through permitting.”