Former Shinan County Governor Park Wooryang Embarks on Nationwide Lectures as the "Sunlight Pension Evangelist"

Spreading the Experience of Innovative Administration and Overcoming Regional Decline Nationwide

Recently, President Lee Jae-myung's high praise for the Sunlight Pension has led to a flood of requests from local governments and private organizations nationwide to attend lectures by former Shinan County Governor Park Woo-ryang.

Former Shinan County Governor Park Wooryang, who brought national attention to Shinan County in South Jeolla Province, is being invited to give lectures across the country and is now known as the "Sunlight Pension Evangelist."

Recently, Park has delivered lectures at the Regulatory Reform Department of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the Democratic Party of Korea’s Suncheon, Gwangyang, Gurye, and Gokseong Regional Committee members’ workshop, and the Jeonbuk Carnegie Talent Development Institute. Upcoming lectures are also scheduled at the World Climate Economy Forum, Jeonbuk Culture and Welfare Academy, Jeonbuk Provincial Council, and Hanam Lifelong Education Center, among others.

Park Wooryang, former mayor of Shinan County, who is conducting nationwide lectures as an advocate for sunlight pension

The theme of his lectures is "Imagining 1,004 Islands," where he introduces innovative administrative cases from Shinan County, such as the nation’s first public bus and public ferry policies, sunlight and wind pensions, sunlight child allowances and savings programs, and the "One Island, One Museum/One Garden" project.

In his lectures, Park explains how Shinan County, once considered an underdeveloped region, rose to national prominence and what strategies and efforts were made to overcome the crisis of population decline. He emphasizes, "Change was possible because of the participation and pride of the residents."

He states, "Shinan County’s experience was possible not only because of administrative innovation but also because it was supported by the voluntary participation and solidarity of the local community," adding, "I will continue to help spread policy models nationwide that can overcome the crisis of local extinction."