Jeonbuk Development Institute

The Jeonbuk Development Institute (Korean: 전북연구원; also known as Jeonbuk Institute) is a local government-funded research institute established in 2005 under the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Local Government-Funded Research Institutes. It is based in Jeonju, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, South Korea, and is owned by the provincial government. The institute conducts research and surveys on regional economy, regional culture, local autonomy, and provincial administration. Its main tasks include mid- and long-term planning for provincial development, improvement of local administrative systems, local fiscal expansion, commissioned research projects, collection and distribution of domestic and international information, and exchange and cooperation with other research institutions. The institute is located at 1696 Kongjwipatjwi-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju, on a site of 9,862 square meters that formerly housed the Jeonbuk Animal Hygiene Testing Laboratory. The campus includes a main building, an annex, a book cafe, a cafeteria, a sports facility, and a warehouse. The land and buildings are owned by Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province. The institute has a history dating back to 1992 with the establishment of the Jeonbuk Economic and Social Research Institute, which was renamed several times before becoming the Jeonbuk Development Institute in 2005 through the merger of the Jeonbuk Development Institute and the Jeollabuk-do Women's Development Institute. In 2015, it was renamed Jeonbuk Institute. The institute maintains exchange and cooperation with the Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Social Sciences in China, holding joint academic conferences annually. Its current director is Kim Sun-ki, who has served since March 2018.

The Jeonbuk Development Institute traces its origins to the Jeonbuk Economic and Social Research Institute, established on February 17, 1992. On February 23, 2003, it was renamed the Jeonbuk Economic and Social Development Institute. On January 28, 2005, it was renamed the Jeonbuk Development Institute. On March 10, 2005, the institute was officially launched as a foundation under the Local Research Institute Act, through the merger of the Jeonbuk Development Institute and the Jeollabuk-do Women's Development Institute. The first director, Han Young-ju, served from March 10, 2005, to December 31, 2006. Subsequent directors included Nam Chung-woo (April 20, 2007 – June 2, 2007), Shin Ki-deok (June 7, 2007 – June 6, 2010), Won Do-yeon (June 29, 2010 – February 29, 2012), Kim Kyung-seop (April 16, 2012 – June 30, 2014), and Kang Hyun-jik (October 30, 2014 – October 29, 2017). On October 12, 2015, the institute was renamed Jeonbuk Institute. The name change was motivated by a desire to move beyond the institute's earlier focus on SOC and urban development toward becoming a comprehensive research institute, and to avoid negative news articles associated with the previous name. Kim Sun-ki became the seventh director on March 19, 2018, and continues to serve. The institute has maintained an exchange and cooperation relationship with the Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Social Sciences in Nanjing, China, holding joint academic conferences annually on an alternating basis.

• Establishment of Jeonbuk Economic and Social Research Institute

• Renamed Jeonbuk Economic and Social Development Institute

• Renamed Jeonbuk Development Institute

• Official launch as a foundation under the Local Research Institute Act, merging Jeonbuk Development Institute and Jeollabuk-do Women's Development Institute

• Renamed Jeonbuk Institute

• Kim Sun-ki appointed as 7th director

A provincial government-funded think tank providing policy research and planning for Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province.

1. 1Jeonbuk Development Institute - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2전북연구원 - Wikipedia (Korean)ko.wikipedia.org