SPC inks agreement with North Chungcheong on $203M bakery plant with AI-powered safety focus

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SPC inks agreement with North Chungcheong on $203M bakery plant with AI-powered safety focus

Published: 11 Dec. 2025, 17:37 Updated: 11 Dec. 2025, 17:47

LIM JEONG-WON
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

From left, Democratic Party Rep. Lim Ho-seon, Eumseong County Mayor Cho Byeong-ok, SPC Group CEO Do Se-ho, North Chungcheong Gov. Kim Young-hwan and SPC Group Vice Chairman Hur Jin-soo pose for a photo during a memoramdum of understanding signing on a new investment plan for a factory in Eumseoung County, North Chungcheong at the North Chungcheong provincial government headquarters on Dec. 11. [SPC GROUP]

SPC Group will invest 300 billion won ($203 million) to build a large-scale bakery plant in Eumseong County, North Chungcheong, with a focus on safety following a series of fatal workplace accidents.

The new facility will incorporate AI, robotics and internet of things technologies as part of SPC’s broader safety-first management reforms.

The project follows recommendations made by the company’s internal task force, launched in July this year to strengthen industrial safety following a series of high-profile workplace incidents. The new plan was approved by the group’s executive committee, SPC Group said.

A signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding for the investment was held at the North Chungcheong Provincial Office, with Gov. Kim Young-hwan, Eumseong County Mayor Cho Byeong-ok, Democratic Party Rep. Lim Ho-seon and SPC executives including Vice Chairman Hur Jin-soo in attendance.

SPC has secured a 182,866-square-meter (45-acre) site in Eumseong’s Human Smart Valley, where it will build an integrated production center for bread, confectionery and other food items.

The site accounts for roughly 20 percent of the industrial complex, making SPC its largest tenant. Upon completion, it will be 2.5 times larger than the group’s current flagship SPL plant and is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs while stimulating the regional economy. Construction is slated to start in 2026, with completion targeted in 2028.

SPC Group's logo [SPC GROUP]

Eumseong was selected for its proximity to the Seoul metropolitan area, central geographic location and strong compatibility with SPC’s existing logistics network. Local government support policies were also cited as a key factor.

SPC plans to outfit the facility with advanced monitoring and automation technologies to minimize workplace hazards and distribute production loads currently concentrated in older factories.

The company aims for the site to be recognized as a “lighthouse factory,” a designation given by the World Economic Forum and consulting firm McKinsey to plants considered global benchmarks in smart manufacturing.

Vice Chairman Hur described the new plant as “a key turning point” in strengthening trust among employees, customers, and stakeholders.

“We will build a facility with the highest safety standards and work closely with local communities as we grow,” he said.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]