Finance minister Kim Dong-yeon annouced on Tuesday that the government has designated five regions as "emergency response" industrial zones.
The regions, including Geoje and Ulsan, which are home to South Korea's shipbuilding industry.
They have been slammed with crushing job losses due to ongoing efforts to restructure the ailing shipbuilding sector.
The minister said,... the government will provide job support and tax incentives as well as ways to boost the regions' tourism sectors.
Last month, the government designated the southwestern city of Gunsan.... as an emergency response industrial zone in the wake of the shutdown of a GM Korea plant in the city.