Train from Suncheon Unstopped by COVID-19: Suncheon City's Achievements and Issues This Year?

Top 10 Achievements Shining with Citizens This Year
5 Hot Issues That Set Suncheon Ablaze
Preparing for a New Start: The First Year of Economic Recovery and Swift Budget Execution Next Year

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] A year that no one expected to be so exhausting and difficult is coming to an end.

This year, which was a turning point and starting point for preparing a new decade, saw the global economy stagger from the infectious disease COVID-19 from the beginning of the year, and people had to walk cautiously.

The key themes for Suncheon in the new year were the inaugural year of peace and economic prosperity based on ecology and culture as two pillars.

Suncheon, an East Asian Cultural City, was preparing to welcome a year that would shine brightly.

However, plans were postponed or canceled, and the normalcy of daily life was disrupted.

Nevertheless, the train departing from Suncheon ran through the darkness.

In the Suncheonman fields, a hooded crane carrying the hopeful message of overcoming COVID-19, "Cheer up, Republic of Korea," took flight.

As the year ends this month, we review the path Suncheon City has traveled.

▶ Top 10 achievements of 2020 that shone with citizens

1. Overcoming the COVID-19 crisis with citizens

In August and November, during two tsunami-like COVID-19 crisis situations, Suncheon City's quarantine efforts were evaluated as successful.

Suncheon City's success in quarantine can be attributed to proactive administrative measures, all-out local responses, the dedicated efforts of medical staff, voluntary cooperation of citizens, and the underlying trust in administration.

Above all, the crisis management ability shown by Suncheon City at every stage, along with voluntary citizen participation such as social distancing, was introduced nationwide as a model case.

To overcome COVID-19, Suncheon City provided a total of 128.274 billion KRW to citizens, including national and provincial funds, through two supplementary budgets, disaster management funds, and contingency funds.

Additionally, various usage fees were reduced by 50%, and 241 landlords participated in the Good Rent Movement, benefiting 489 stores.

2. Rising as the third largest city in Honam

On November 30, Suncheon City stood tall as the third largest city in Honam with a population of 282,618, following Gwangju and Jeonju.

Suncheon City attributes its population growth to creating livable residential conditions in culture, education, welfare, and safety fields, based on its core policy as an ecological city, a city good for raising children, a city where youth return, and a universally designed city comfortable for everyone.

Especially this year, the city opened the 6th Miracle Playground, inaugurated the youth startup support facility ‘Chang-up Yeondang,’ promoted the construction of half-price rental apartments for newlyweds (120 units), and implemented fine dust blocking forest projects in the Yulchon, Haeryong, and Shindae districts.

3. Approval of the 2023 Suncheonman International Garden Expo as an international event

Suncheon City became the first city in Asia to hold the same international event twice, 10 years after successfully hosting the International Garden Expo in 2013.

The 2023 International Garden Expo received approval from the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) in March and government approval as an international event in July.

Accordingly, Suncheon City will receive administrative and financial support for event preparation.

The preparation for the expo will officially begin in January next year under the Organizing Committee system.

The 2023 Garden Expo, themed "Living in the Garden," will be held for six months starting around April 23, 2023, at Suncheonman National Garden and downtown Suncheon.

4. Suncheon-style sharing movement “Gwonbun Movement”

The Gwonbun Movement is a Suncheon-style crisis overcoming and sharing practice project.

Suncheon City conducted the Gwonbun Movement, a private-led, citywide donation campaign, to resolve difficulties faced by citizens suffering from COVID-19.

The Gwonbun boxes, created from 95 cases of cash and goods donations totaling 442 million KRW, were delivered to 5,500 households in urgent need through 320 volunteers over six rounds.

Since last month, the second Gwonbun Movement, the "2.8 Million Citizens Mask Gwonbun Movement," has been underway.

Within 15 days of its start, the target quantity of 1 million masks was received.

Suncheon City has been distributing three masks per person to all citizens through the heads of towns, townships, and neighborhoods since the 21st.

Suncheon City's Gwonbun Movement is a donation-sharing movement reinterpreting the wealth sharing of rich people in the Joseon Dynasty for modern times.

Additionally, when record heavy rains caused flooding in Hwangjeon-myeon and Gurye-gun on August 7-8, Suncheon City supported 2,347 volunteers, 318 pieces of equipment including excavators, and 91,337 items of 40 types of supplies such as bottled water. Citizens also promoted a campaign to collect spare clothes and home appliances for flood-affected areas, delivering 16 tons of goods.

5. Suncheonman National Garden and Wetlands selected as the most popular tourist destinations nationwide

In July, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute surveyed visitors to major tourist sites nationwide last year, finding that 6.18 million tourists visited Suncheonman National Garden and Suncheonman Wetlands, making them the most popular pure tourist destinations nationwide, excluding amusement facilities (Everland had 6.6 million visitors).

Suncheonman National Garden has also established itself as a representative tourist destination in Korea by winning the Korea Product Grand Prize and being selected as an open tourism site next year.

6. 3E Project embraces three oases

The 3E Project, a key policy promoted during Suncheon City's 7th elected administration, integrates Education, Ecology, and Economy.

It is a sustainable urban development strategy that revitalizes the local economy by leveraging Suncheon’s excellent educational conditions and ecological environment strengths.

Suncheon City is creating three oases as future growth industries to lead the economy.

As an agricultural bio-sector oasis, the Namhaean Fermented Food Industry Support Center is being built in Seungju-eup, scheduled for completion in March 2022.

As an oasis for new material parts industry, the Magnesium Material Parts Industry Cluster is being promoted centered on Haeryong Industrial Complex.

As an oasis for youth startups, Suncheon is exchanging startup systems and strategies with Zhongguancun in China and preparing the China-Korea Startup Innovation Center (scheduled to move in the first half of 2021) to serve as a foothold for startups entering China, as well as building the largest startup incubation center in Honam within the station area urban regeneration district (scheduled for completion in 2022).

7. Direct democracy listening to citizens' voices

From the second half of 2018 until last year, direct democracy methods that heard citizens' voices 136 times slowed down this year due to COVID-19.

To overcome this, Suncheon City received 215 suggestions through Hangtong (??, a bamboo tube used in the Joseon Dynasty government offices to collect citizens' opinions) in May.

From June, the city operated Democracy Schools three times, focusing on democracy education in daily life, and is nurturing future democratic citizens through youth democracy camps.

On the 21st, Suncheon held the ‘2020 Ontact Suncheon Hope Talk’ with about 200 participants using Zoom for interactive communication.

Additionally, the city is promoting the enactment of the ‘True Ecological City Suncheon Ordinance’ initiated by citizens and preparing for the full implementation of resident autonomy councils in 24 towns, townships, and neighborhoods next year.

Meanwhile, Suncheon City plans to establish a ‘Citizen Sovereignty Officer’ directly under the mayor next year to be in charge of direct democracy policies, citizen participation tasks, and direct complaint counseling.

8. Full-scale promotion of new city hall construction

In December, the design competition winner for Suncheon City’s new city hall was selected as ‘Suncheon-ui-ro (順天?路).’

The current city hall was built in 1969 and expanded nine times, but low safety ratings and lack of space could not be resolved.

Suncheon City obtained approval from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety for new construction last year, finalized the site, and completed land compensation.

The new city hall will be built on a site of 26,758㎡ including the current city hall site and the east side, with a total floor area of 47,000㎡.

Construction will begin in 2022 and is scheduled for completion in 2025.

9. Opening of Dongcheon Suspension Bridge

In October, a suspension bridge connecting Dongcheon Retention Pond in Ocheon-dong and Pungdeok walking trail was opened.

The 181-meter-long suspension bridge crossing Dongcheon offers views of the beautiful four seasons of Dongcheon.

The opening of the suspension bridge is expected to boost the stay-type tourism activation policy linked with the Suncheonman National Garden and Dongcheon nightscape project, which has been promoted since 2018.

Along with this, despite the variable of COVID-19, Suncheon City plans to open a night market near Dongcheon Retention Pond adjacent to the National Garden in March next year, hoping that tourists visiting the National Garden and wetlands will stay in Suncheon and lead the night economy.

10. Nationwide administrative innovation model

Suncheon is known for many firsts and best cases.

This year, it implemented the ‘MacGyver Settlement Support Project,’ the first nationwide to provide free residence and settlement support funds to those wishing to return to farming and rural areas; expanded the criteria for multi-child families in Jeonnam for the first time (from 3 to 2 children); opened the first Global Webtoon Center in Honam; established the first childbirth encouragement leave (30 days) in a basic local government; and received the first ISO22000 (Food Safety Management System) certification in the tap water sector in Jeonnam.

Additionally, it launched local tax KakaoTalk easy payment service, published 66 books in 2020 as part of the ‘One Citizen One Book’ campaign, and operated the Suncheonman National Garden and Wetlands Plastic Zero Zone. This year, Suncheon City has won 42 awards (as of December 22, with 10 ongoing), including the National Balanced Development Award, first place in Jeonnam for three consecutive years in government joint evaluations, and awards in six social welfare fields, solidifying its position as a nationwide administrative innovation model city.

▶ Five hot issues that heated Suncheon

1. ‘SkyCube’ donated free of charge to Suncheon City

In June, after about a year of legal disputes between Suncheon City and EcoTrans, the SkyCube operating company, the issue was settled by donating the SkyCube-related facilities to Suncheon City free of charge.

SkyCube is an unmanned monorail connecting Suncheonman National Garden and Suncheon Literature Museum.

Currently, Suncheon City has formed a citizen takeover committee and is seeking efficient operation and deficit resolution plans for SkyCube through public hearings.

2. Attraction of medical school to eastern Jeonnam

On July 23, the Democratic Party and the government announced plans to expand medical school quotas and establish new medical schools in regions without one.

Citizens had high expectations for attracting a medical school to eastern Jeonnam, which lacks one, and competition with the western region centered on Mokpo intensified.

Currently, the establishment of a public medical school is under reconsideration due to opposition from the Medical Association and related organizations.

Suncheon City and Suncheon University have formed a medical school attraction promotion committee and are making every effort, including a one million signature campaign, to attract a medical school.

3. Korail Gwangju-Jeonnam Headquarters integrated office decided in Suncheon

In September, Korail decided to locate the integrated office of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Headquarters in Suncheon.

Suncheon is a railway hub city where the Jeolla Line and Gyeongjeon Line intersect, and where the former Suncheon Regional Railroad Office was located; KTX operates here.

The relocation of Korail’s integrated headquarters will allow Suncheon to once again leap forward as a central city in the railway industry.

4. Salmon swimming upstream after three years

In October, an 80cm salmon was caught in front of Umyeong Village, Byeollyang-myeon, Suncheonman.

Suncheon City estimated it to be one of the 20,000 salmon released in Dongcheon in March 2017.

Salmon are anadromous fish that return to their birthplace two to three years after release.

Suncheon City plans to continue monitoring returning salmon and conduct ongoing environmental conservation activities.

5. Opening of Yeosun 10·19 Uprising History Museum and urging enactment of special law

Seventy-two years after the Yeosun Incident occurred and after the acquittal of victims, the Yeosun Uprising History Museum opened for the first time in Korea in Suncheon last October.

Suncheon City held the ‘Yeosun Uprising National Creative Song Festival’ last year and has been continuously promoting truth investigation and reexamination of the Yeosun Incident by hiring professionals responsible for supporting the enactment of the Yeosun Incident Special Law since July.

Moreover, to enact the special law, bereaved families and civic groups have promoted training of Yeosun Uprising history interpreters, held a historical art exhibition by writer Park Geum-man, and organized academic conferences. At the national assembly level, public hearings have been held, taking steps toward legislation.

▶ Next year, the inaugural year of economic recovery, preparing for a new start with swift budget execution

The train departing from Suncheon has been filled with the warmth of 280,000 citizens, bridging the distance widened by COVID-19.

Within this, many seeds have sprouted and some petals have fallen.

The train, taking a brief breath at the year-end, is running toward next year.

Mayor Heo Seok of Suncheon said, “With the city council’s approval of next year’s main budget (1.2871 trillion KRW, an increase of 31.5 billion KRW from the previous year), we are ready to work.” He added, “In these difficult times due to COVID-19, to revive the local economy, we will make next year the inaugural year of economic recovery and execute the budget swiftly.”

He also said, “Together with 280,000 citizens, we are preparing a vigorous start to fill Suncheon with new stories, focusing on economy, livelihood, and future as core values.”

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