Myeong Hyun-gwan, Haenam County Governor, Holds Press Conference Marking 2 Years of the 7th Elected Term

Haenam-gun Shines in Economic Revitalization and Communication Administration at Midterm of 7th Elected Term
Nation's First Farmer's Allowance Linked with Local Gift Certificates, Regional Vitality Boosted by Haenam Minam Festival

On the 23rd, Myeong Hyun-gwan, Haenam County Governor, held a press briefing to explain the major achievements of the 7th term of the local government at the halfway point and the future direction of county administration. (Photo by Haenam County)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Myung Hyun-kwan) held a press briefing on the 23rd to explain the major achievements of the first half of the 7th local government term and the future direction of county administration.

Governor Myung Hyun-kwan stated, “Carrying the aspirations of the residents to create a new Haenam, we have achieved many changes and accomplishments during the two years since the launch of the 7th local government term,” adding, “In the second half, as major projects get on track, we will accelerate project implementation so that residents can tangibly feel the results of county administration.”

He highlighted the introduction of the nation’s first Farmer’s Allowance, issuance of Haenam Love Gift Certificates, and the hosting of the Haenam Minam Festival as the greatest achievements that have remarkably revitalized the local economy.

The Farmer’s Allowance support system, first introduced in Haenam-gun last year, has rapidly spread nationwide and has been expanded this year to the Jeollanam-do Province’s Farmers and Fishermen Allowance program.

Additionally, the Haenam Love Gift Certificates, initially issued with a scale of 17 billion KRW, have been increased to 105 billion KRW this year, playing a significant role in revitalizing the local economy despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The establishment of a virtuous cycle in the local economy through the introduction of the Farmer’s Allowance and issuance of local gift certificates has been recognized as a nationwide model, leading to adoption and implementation by various local governments after the COVID-19 crisis.

The Haenam Minam Festival, held for the first time last year, attracted about 130,000 visitors despite being the inaugural event, marking a successful start and signaling the revival of tourism in Haenam.

Accordingly, the number of tourists visiting Haenam has doubled since the launch of the 7th local government term, surpassing 2 million by the end of last year.

The increased integrity since the 7th local government term clearly reflects innovation and change in Haenam’s county administration.

In the integrity evaluation conducted by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, Haenam-gun’s integrity rating improved from grade 3 in 2017 to grade 2 for two consecutive years in 2018 and 2019, coinciding with the launch of the 7th local government term.

The evaluation score, which was 7.66 points in 2017, steadily rose to 8.10 points in 2018 and 8.53 points in 2019. Both internal and external evaluations awarded perfect scores of 10 in categories such as bribery, entertainment, and provision of conveniences, demonstrating remarkable integrity achievements.

The rise in Haenam-gun’s integrity is interpreted as a result of the continuous emphasis on integrity and innovation since Governor Myung Hyun-kwan’s inauguration during the 7th local government term, which has driven changes in the public service community.

Governor Myung Hyun-kwan said, “With the launch of the 7th local government term, we pledged to operate county administration based on the three principles of fairness, openness, and equity, creating an atmosphere that prioritizes public officials’ integrity. I myself promised to enter empty-handed and leave empty-handed, taking only love when I leave, and I have been doing my best to fulfill this promise.”

Haenam-gun’s childbirth and childcare policies have been recognized for solid achievements, attracting attention not only domestically but also from overseas media. It ranked first nationwide in total fertility rate for seven consecutive years until last year. Following the opening of a toy library this year, the construction of the Ttangkkeut Eoullim Center, which will provide comprehensive childcare and parenting services, is underway.

Furthermore, notable welfare policies tailored to each generation include the operation of the Ttangkkeut Bodeumjari senior communal living space, the promotion of a small movie theater and youth complex cultural center, implementation of a 1,000 KRW taxi service for safe youth return home, and a 1,000 KRW fare system for rural buses.

Through more than 50 mobile county office sessions annually and other on-site administrative activities, continuous efforts have been made to build consensus among residents, leading to increased trust from the community.

Haenam-gun has actively encouraged residents’ participation in county administration by operating the nation’s first Haenam citizen-exclusive app, Haenam Sotong Net, engaging in active online communication via SNS, revitalizing residents’ autonomous councils, and forming a Haenam-style community revitalization council.

Haenam-gun’s SNS has surpassed 28,000 Facebook subscribers, ranking first among county-level units in the province, and total social media subscribers have increased by 400% over the past two years, creating a new chapter in active county administration participation and communication with residents.

The proactive quarantine measures to overcome COVID-19, maintenance of a clean area, and provision of management stabilization funds for small business owners?the first in Jeollanam-do?were possible thanks to the solid consensus built with residents.

Since Governor Myung Hyun-kwan’s inauguration, Haenam-gun has established the vision of “Shining Ttangkkeut, Haenam Running Again” for the 7th local government term, confirming 65 pledges across five major strategies, and is doing its best to achieve these goals by quarterly monitoring and analysis of progress.

Approaching the 2nd anniversary of the 7th local government term, 33 out of 65 detailed pledges have been completed, showing a completion rate exceeding 50%, accelerating the fulfillment of promises made to residents.

This pledge completion rate is significantly higher than the national average of 34% and Jeollanam-do’s 28%, establishing Haenam as the most exemplary local government in pledge fulfillment during the 7th local government term.

Especially, receiving excellent results consecutively in external evaluations, which serve as mid-term assessments for the 2nd anniversary of the 7th local government term, is expected to strengthen the momentum for county administration in the latter half of the term.

Recently, Haenam received the Dasan Mokmin Award Minister of the Interior and Safety Award hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and achieved the highest grade (SA) for two consecutive years in the 7th local government nationwide basic local government head pledge evaluation conducted by the Korea Manifesto Practice Headquarters, highlighting Haenam’s progressive development.

Governor Myung Hyun-kwan said, “As the county head acting as a salesman, I secured a record-high 279.2 billion KRW in national funds last year and was selected for 67 public projects worth 75.4 billion KRW, laying the foundation for the full-scale promotion of pending projects,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to draw a shining dream of Haenam in all areas of county administration by uniting the power of residents and public officials.”

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