Wando-gun Officials Reveal 2020 County Administration Direction at Press Conference

Promotion of Marine Healing Center Construction and Marine Healing Blue Zone Development Project
Full Efforts to Advance Wando International Seaweed Expo, Gwangju-Wando Expressway, and Other Key Projects

Wando County held a 2020 Press Conference. (Photo by Wando County)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyung-pil] Wando County, Jeonnam, held a press conference on the 8th to mark the New Year of the Year of the Rat, announcing last year's major county administration achievements and the 2020 county administration operation direction, and to listen to suggestions while promoting county administration.

About 30 reporters covering the county, Wando County Mayor Shin Woo-cheol, Deputy Mayor Jeong Seok-ho, and 20 department heads attended the meeting.

The meeting started with watching a promotional video on the marine healing industry, followed by an explanation of the 2020 New Year plan, opinion gathering, and a Q&A session.

Mayor Shin Woo-cheol of Wando first said, “I would like to express my gratitude to the journalists who cooperated with the county administration last year, and I hope to share good opinions so that local pending projects can proceed smoothly,” explaining the background of holding the meeting.

Major achievements of the 2019 county administration included securing project funds for the construction of the Marine Healing Center and the Marine Healing Blue Zone, selection of 58 public contest projects, securing a national treasury budget of 183.5 billion won, a 16.67% increase compared to 2019, a total of 23 awards including the Presidential Award at the Korea Local Autonomy Management Competition, export contracts of Wando seafood worth 14.5 million USD, international event approval for the Wando International Seaweed Expo, feasibility evaluation qualification for Wando Arboretum as a national subtropical arboretum site, and attracting the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service Wando office.

Next, he presented the key tasks and county administration operation direction for 2020.

First, since Wando possesses a clean marine environment and diverse marine resources, to foster the ‘Wando-type Marine Healing Industry,’ the construction of the Marine Healing Center, which will begin in May, will be carried out without delay, and the Yaksan Marine Healing Experience Center, Marine Bio Research Complex, and Marine Healing Park will be planned and promoted steadily.

He also said, “The strategy is to expand marine healing programs and develop various tourism contents linked to the marine healing industry so that the county can be reborn as a ‘marine tourism hub city.’”

He emphasized that through the Wando International Seaweed Expo to be held in 2021, efforts will be made to create jobs, revitalize the local economy, and strengthen the international competitiveness of the marine biological industry by focusing on preparations such as establishing the basic plan starting in March.

Furthermore, he explained that efforts will be accelerated to promote projects such as ▲early commencement of the second phase of the Gwangju-Wando expressway ▲attracting coastal fishing fleets to Wando Port ▲expanding issuance and operation of Wando Love Gift Certificates ▲sustainable development of agriculture, fisheries, and livestock industries ▲customized welfare projects by age and class ▲attracting a sports education center linked to the marine healing industry.

Reporters attending the meeting raised issues such as seeking ways to develop the Hwangchil industry through the creation of a specialized Hwangchil forest in Wando, the need to regulate production and distribution volumes of seafood such as abalone, seaweed, and kelp, construction of a public library, and expansion of companies participating in overseas market development teams.

Mayor Shin Woo-cheol of Wando responded, “All the mentioned matters are parts that the county must consider and solve, and we will strive to find solutions for each issue to help the development of the county.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.