Hwasun-gun to Develop 'Aquatic Food Industry Hub Complex'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Young-gyun] Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Gu Chung-gon) announced on the 23rd that it will establish a hub complex to foster inland fisheries and the seafood food industry.

The county plans to cluster facilities for seafood food production, research, processing, distribution, and sales to promote inland fisheries and the seafood food industry, creating a new model of the sixth industry to revitalize the local economy.

The county's move to foster the seafood food industry despite having no coastline is being evaluated as a reverse thinking approach.

The county will invest 14 billion KRW (7 billion KRW from the central government and 7 billion KRW from the county) to create a seafood food hub complex covering a total area of 31,060㎡. Two buildings with a total floor area of 4,486㎡ will be constructed, including seafood food research and development, processing, distribution, sales, exhibition facilities, and auxiliary facilities.

Construction is scheduled to be completed by December, and a processing facility specialized in exports will be operated to create Jeollanam-do's only "sauce-specialized seafood food hub" utilizing seafood.

In the early stages of the project, production will focus on common "liquid sauces" such as fish sauce, flavored soy sauce, oyster sauce, and seaweed pickles. In the mid to long term, the plan is to diversify the business by enhancing competitiveness through producing health functional foods developed at the complex's research facilities.

The inland aquaculture complex construction project is underway with a target completion next month. With a budget of 7 billion KRW (3.5 billion KRW from the central government and 3.5 billion KRW from the county), it will be developed over an area of 33,500㎡, including water supply and sales facilities. Of this, 20,000㎡ will be allocated to inland fishery farmers to lay the foundation necessary to revitalize native fish aquaculture such as catfish, shrimp, and eel.

The county expects that the complex will contribute to expanding the inland fisheries infrastructure by scaling and clustering small and outdated aquaculture facilities, fostering regionally specialized inland fisheries, creating new income sources in rural areas, and increasing residents' income.

Additionally, as a central inland area of Jeollanam-do adjacent to large cities, it is advantageous for the supply and distribution of Jeollanam-do seafood. The clustering of production, processing, distribution, sales, and research and development facilities linked between the aquaculture complex and the seafood food hub complex can generate synergistic effects.

Not only the seafood food hub complex research facilities but also cooperation with local hospitals and research institutes will develop and commercialize regionally specialized health foods, pioneering sales channels to promote local economic revitalization and job creation.

Along with this, the county plans to create a successful sixth industry model by operating food and experience programs centered on the inland aquaculture complex and seafood food hub complex, linking with nearby tourism resources.

They are also considering establishing a new tourism belt connecting nearby tourist resources such as the exile site of Jo Gwang-jo, the shrine of Zhu Xi, the Jeong Yul-seong historic site, Unjusa Temple, and dolmen sites with seafood food and other attractions for food, sightseeing, and entertainment.

Governor Gu Chung-gon said, "By establishing the seafood food hub complex and aquaculture complex, we will revitalize inland fisheries and the seafood food industry, creating good jobs and new income sources for residents. We will leverage advantages such as convenient transportation networks and consumer accessibility, and develop experiential tourism products linked with cultural tourism and historical cultural resources scattered in Neungju and nearby areas, presenting a new sixth industry model."

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